


When The Day Bleeds

by Sniperks



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Apocalypse, But also angst if you want to suffer a little, But only from Will Solace, Character Death, Established Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Fluff, Heartbreak, Hurt Nico di Angelo, Hurt/Comfort, If you related to that last tag; get some help, Kickass zombie fighting, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Nico di Angelo Needs a Hug, Piper McLean is a Good Friend, There is a lot of fluff, because they're in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:01:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 24,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29969520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sniperks/pseuds/Sniperks
Summary: Nico wanted him to shut up. He was trying to focus, trying to hear those erratic footsteps. He was listening for them but all he could pay any attention to were the heavy, dragging steps Will used to stumble across the small room. Putting space between them. Probably a good idea."I'm sorry." Will sighed as his head fell against the wall.Nico pretended not to notice as Will slumped to the ground. Will was shaking, his labored breathing filled Nico's ears. "We'll fix it, Will. I swear."I can't lose you too. He think loudly in Will's direction, just barely managing to keep the words from spilling out.Because I couldn't fucking handle that.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	1. Into Nightfall

**Author's Note:**

> Apocalypse Solangelo anyone?  
> I had to write this. I couldn't stop myself. There aren't enough in the world so I made one. :)

The day bleeds  
Into nightfall  
And you're not here  
To get me through it all

.......................

"Nico. I'm sorry, It shouldn't be you," He swallowed hoarsely, "It's not fair. I know." Nico wanted him to shut up. He was trying to listen for those erratic footsteps. He was listening for them but all he could focus on were the heavy, dragging steps Will used to stumble across the small room. Putting space between them. Probably a good idea.  
"I'm sorry." Will sighed as his head fell against the wall. The sound echoed in the empty room.

"No," Nico said stubbornly, "We can fix this. I promise. Just hold on, okay? They'll get it. It's in this Operation-base. It has to be. The plans, all the blueprints," The dark haired boy nodded to himself, "It will be here." He said reassuringly as he paced the stone room. Nico pretended not to notice as Will slumped to the ground. Will was shaking, his labored breathing filled Nico's ears. "We'll fix it, Will. I swear."

I can't lose you too. He think loudly in Will's direction, just barely managing to keep the words from spilling out.   
Because I couldn't fucking handle that. 

Will, the idiot, had saved Nico but got himself hurt in the process. The dark-haired boy hadn't seen the Infected behind him until Will had already thrown himself in the way. Nico had made quick work of slicing off its head but he was too late, the damage had been done. It had scratched Will from his bare neck to the middle of his back, its mutated claws slicing through his skin like butter.

Nico pressed his earpiece, "This is Nico, we have an emergency. Will has been scratched. Extremely deep wounds. It's spreading quicker than I've seen all year." He glanced at Will's slumped form. "We need the cure ASAP. Over"

"Where are you?" Piper asked over the static. "We're still in the artifact room. Over."

Nico looked around. They had been with Piper, Jason and Conner(The only remaining Stoll brother) in the artifact room before they had been swamped with a group of infected. They got separated from the group. It had been very messy. He shook his head, he needed to focus.  
There. A small label on the inside of the rotting, wooden door. Storage: A.e-5

"Storage room." Nico spoke as clearly as he could "A E dash 5." Will was looking up at him from the ground. "West side of the building. Over."

"Nico," Annabeth spoke urgently, "what do you mean 'its spreading quicker than you've seen all year'? How bad is it? Over."

Nico gnawed on his chapped lip subconsciously, "He was scratched maybe ten minutes ago." Wills head lolled a bit to one side, his eyes unfocusing briefly. "He's already at the point where The QUP would throw him in quarantine," Nico shook his head, when Bianca had gotten scratched, it had taken almost four hours to find any telltale signs of infection.  
"I've never seen anything like it. Over.

There was silence.  
"Nico," Piper said carefully, "The scratches he would have to have for that to even be possible...ten minutes?"  
Nico could imagine her braids dancing as she shook her head. "You've always been the best at knowing how long people have before the infection takes over. What's your best guess? Over."

Piper was right. Nico had a talent for telling when infections would become irreversible, sometimes to the hour. Annabeth figured it was because he had actually been infected before. The cure had saved him. That's how they knew it would work. It would work, he knew it would.

…………………………………………………………...

Back when outbreaks had just started, people everywhere had been, needless to say, very panicked. Some decided it was the end of the world and therefore ditched all of their morals. Theft, drugs, alcohol, rape, they did it all with no shame.  
It was when one of these people broke into their boarded up house that led to Bianca's infection.  
The man had set his eyes on the beautiful, dark haired girl and his hunger had flared. Nico was picked up and flung away like a rag doll; rendered useless when his head banged against the wall. Bianca, desperate to get this man away from her unconscious little brother, had baited him into the street. She was a quick little thing, had always been first on the track and field team, but when, inevitably, the infected swarmed them, attracted by the noise, she had been caught up in the chaos. Though it was just a scratch,(unlike the man, who was shredded to pieces) she had the virus pumping through her veins.  
They had hidden out, and, no matter how many times Bianca told him to leave her, they stayed together.  
Nico had brought her food, water, changed her bandage regularly, everything he could think of to keep her alive. Nothing worked. He watched as his sister scratched her skin raw,(he tried oven-mitts, taping her hands together, band-aids, but she would resort to her using teeth, rubbing at the ground, or anything else she could think of to find relief.) It was one of the worst parts of stage two, tearing back layers of your own skin, trying to dig up the irresistible itch. It took Bianca just over fourteen hours to reach the end of stage two. By then Nico was infected too. You could only get the infection through contact, and Nico refused to be afraid of hugging his sister. It happened during the start of stage two, they watched as blue veins slowly wormed their way under Nico's skin, a matching pair to his sisters.  
Bianca hated that she'd got him infected. Resented herself for it. She said she'd just as well have killed him. But Nico was glad. If he went out, it might as well be by his sister's side. She died the next day. Killed herself. She knew she was on the brink of stage three and would absolutely not consider the possibility of losing her mind and killing Nico when she did. Stubborn until the end.

Quarantine Patrol(QUP) had found Nico curled up on the curb, having crawled out of their hideout in hope of a quicker death, and brought him in. Their hazmat suites had been strikingly white, blinding him when he’d been gathered in arms covered in scratchy fabric. The will to fight had died with his sister, so he let them stuff him in a truck and leave him in a room full of people with varying degrees of infection.

The building, Nico learned, was previously a hospital, boarded up and guarded to high hell. It was the most secure place Nico had been in a very long time. He was still sick, he was still dying, but at least it was in a controlled way. At least he wouldn’t become one of the mindless creatures that wandered the streets. At least he would get killed by a human instead of ripped apart by a creature. In quarantine, scientists experimented. So far they had only found ways to speed up the reaction. They brought in those that were newly infected and tested whatever they wanted on them.  
Nico had been the first one to show any results. His body was able to slow the virus' progression slightly. It might have been the fact that he hadn't actually been scratched. Normally, once someone you knew got infected, you took off and didn't look back. There weren't many people that got infected the way Nico had.

Suddenly, everyone in the lab was focused on Nico. Every scientist with more than one brain cell was bending over backwards to find the cure.  
One day, against all odds, it happened. He was put in recovery by the end of the week. Slowly, the blue veins became invisible and colour returned to his face.

The hospital was in celebration, after eleven months of the awful curse, there was a beacon of hope. The hallways were filled, for the first time in almost a year, with laughter, albeit slightly hysterical but it still counted.  
A young medical protégé, named Will Solace, was assigned to Nico’s recovery and they had sparked a friendship of sorts. A kind of 'Congrats, you aren't dead!' and a 'Thanks, feels great, being alive and shit!' kind of friendship. Everyday, Will visited him. Sometimes when he was actually supposed to because Nico was his patient, but more often than not it was while he was on his break, bringing him little trinkets or spilling all the drama around the hospital. What a dork.  
It was surprising how well they got along. Even when Nico was annoyed with him, he found the blond boy endearing.  
(“Hey, Deathboy. How's it hanging?’’  
“Don’t call me that, Solace. I didn’t die.”  
“Right, right. Just on the inside. I’ve heard your speech before.”  
Nico would have been lying if he said he didn’t find the healer just the tiniest bit funny.)  
It was nice, to think the world would be fine.

But then the hospital exploded.

Nico didn't remember much before the incident but he did recall Will rushing into his room in the middle of the night, looking frantic. It was all a blur. The babbling blond had shoved Nico’s few possessions into a sack and dragged him down the halls. It took until they were in the courtyard before Nico pulled the hysterical nurse to a standstill and asked him, ‘‘What the fuck are we doing?’’  
To his credit, the blond managed to get a few words out before pulling Nico into a sprint,  
‘‘They’re here.’’  
Struggling to keep up, Nico had only been able to pant out, ‘‘Who’s here? Will, what the hell are you talking about.’’  
The nurse spared Nico a glance before taking a sharp corner, nearly dislocating Nico’s shoulder when the death grip on his hand held tight. ‘‘There's no time. We have to leave! I’ll explain everything when we’re out of here.’’ And, apparently, that's all it took for Nico to trust him completely. If he hadn't been running rampant through deserted halls, Nico might have been unsettled by the thought.  
They were just barely out the doors, Infected staggering around aimlessly, when the explosion boomed. Will tackled Nico behind a busted car when the building collapsed in a show of bright, burning flames, sending debris flying through the night air. Taking the brunt of the fall and bringing Nico tumbling on top of him, Wills head collided hard with the cement. They stayed huddled behind the car until their ears stopped ringing and Wills frantic heartbeat was all Nico could hear. Disorientated, Nico focused single mindedly on the frenzied pulse beating beneath his touch. It was the only thing grounding him from the world shaking explosion. Chest heaving, Nico sat up peeking over the car at the wreckage. Long, snaking flames reached towards the night sky, huge slabs of metal and cement piled where the building once stood. The Infected were clawing at the fallen concrete, stumbling into the flames. Nico’s survival instincts took over. They couldn’t stay here. There would be an opening if the infected continued to swarm the flame, an opening where they could get past them and maybe into that building down that street.  
For the first time, he looked down at the medic below him. Will was looking up at him with dazed blue eyes.  
Shaking him lightly, Nico glanced over at the swarmed building again, “Will, we have to go. I think we might be able to get to that building down the road but-” A hand traced his cheek and it shocked him enough to look down again.  
Blinking at him slowly, Will smiled serenely, "I feel like I’m going to throw up,” Eyes widening slightly at the statement, Nico finally noticed that Will didn't look like he was in the best shape. “But, hey, we’re alive right. I feel like that’s a win.” Against his better judgement, Nico’s lips twitched. Dropping his head down onto Wills chest lightly he let out a quiet, chuckle. It’s possible he was slightly hysterical, but that didn't matter. Will was right. They were Alive. He wondered absently if they would stay that way for long.

***

Will did end up throwing up. Thankfully, it was when they were tucked away in the abandoned house. After an obnoxiously close inspection, Nico deemed the house safe..ish. Nowhere was really safe anymore. The hospital just proved that. There was very little food, just some plain crackers and a small bit of canned tuna, but it proved good enough for the two boys. They sat, shoulder to shoulder, in the dark bedroom watching the roaring flames out the window. The hospital bed Nico was in less than an hour ago seemed worlds away.  
“Nico?’’ Will breathed into the silence.  
“Yeah?’’ Nico prompted, eyes still on the hospital ruins.  
Moving to grab his satchel from the floor, Will spoke softly, “I have a concussion.”  
“Yeah.”  
He opened the bag, taking a small stack of crumpled paper out and handing them to Nico, “If I die, you need to take these.”  
Nico’s blood turned to ice in his veins. “Will!” His voice was sharp as he shoved the stack back into the medics lap. “You’re not going to die from a fucking concussion.”  
There was an almost morbid amusement in those blue eyes. “Probably not.” He agreed, gently pushing the papers back at Nico. “But it could get me killed. It’s fairly easy to die these days, even without a concussion.” Nico knew he was right. But he wanted him to be wrong so badly. He didn't want to watch anyone else die, not when he’d just seen a hospital full of innocent sick people...  
Will sighed when Nico didn’t even glance at the papers. “I think these are important.” His azure gaze swept slowly over what looked like blue prints. “A senior advisor, Chiron, gave them to me, just before he told me about the explosion. He said that there were people- people that believed in order for this plague to end, the dying needed to just die, not be cured. And that's why they- why they blew up the hospital.” Will blew out a breath looking towards the window, “Chiron said he heard them killing all the scientists and doctors that had been involved, I guess he went and gathered as much as he could before he saw me. I think he would have gotten them out of there himself if he hadn’t been in his wheelchair.” Will lifted the blueprints to find page after page of small, cramped writing. “Nico, these are notes on everything we know about the cure.” The Italian took in the stoic set of the boy's jaw, the way his blond hair, dirtied with cement dust and black ash, brushed over his tanned skin. “He told me to protect them with my life.” A quick glance was all Nico got before he whispered, “I wasn’t supposed to get you. It was-” He swallowed thickly, “It was a risk I wasn’t supposed to take. But I couldn’t just leave you there.” At that, Nico glanced down at the stack in his lap. “Nico,” A hand on his chin lifted his head, Will’s forehead gently rested on his, and Nico’s breath caught in his chest. “I’m not as good as you are out here. If- If there’s even a possibility that I-”

“Will.” Nico cut him off with a hiss, “Don’t.” Moving away abruptly, Nico stood, his forehead going cold with the absence of Wills. With the papers efficiently gathered and stored away in the satchel, Nico moved to the door. “Get some sleep. I’m taking watch.” Without looking back, Nico closed the door with a quiet click and certainly did not think about the boy in the room behind him until morning.

***

Over the next few days, Will's condition seemed to get worse before it got better. He was nauseous and threw up lots of the food that Nico managed to find in the neighboring houses. The blankets that Nico managed to string up over the window were ratty and old but left the room draped in blessed darkness that seemed to help Will’s headache. Finding water proved to be a challenge but what Nico could find, he boiled during the day over a fire small enough not to attract any attention, from the infected or otherwise.  
It was when they started to run out of food that Nico proposed the idea to move. Will had nodded slowly along with his plan, claiming, when Nico had asked his opinion, “Whatever you think is best, is what we’ll do, Neeks.”

The hospital was completely overrun. There were half-burned bodies thrown haphazardly around the site and infected hunkering down to have a snack on the charred corpses. Swallowing his disgust, Nico made quick work of searching the area for the truck he vaguely remembered being thrust into so long ago. It was, unfortunately, crushed under an incredible amount of rubble. Every recon vehicle the QUP had used was either buried or destroyed. That didn't, however, include an old, robust ambulance parked just off site. It was surrounded by debris, but nothing Nico couldn't move. It was out of gas but it ran like a beauty once Nico had siphoned some out of the least destroyed cars. The noise it made attracted the attention of some infected so Nico took the long way back to Will in hopes of shaking them off his trail.  
Once they had loaded up their few belongings, as well as the very precious Cure notes, they were on their way. Nico drove in the vague direction of the old hideout he had shared with Bianca. He didn’t know where else to go. Besides, there was a stash at a convenience store that he and Bianca had made before she- yeah.  
He wasn’t sure anything would be there, but it was worth a try.  
He chose a newer style house, one that had only three windows on the lowest level. Carefully, Nico scaled the side, breaking through a second floor window. After scouring the house for any signs of the infected he affirmed the house was abandoned. The previous owners were probably part of the mass population that had fled to refugee camps and were now, most likely, dead. Bianca, the clever little thing, had explained to Nico once how it would be stupid to go somewhere so populated when the infection was spread through contact. At the time Nico had not understood and simply just trusted her judgment, but now he agreed.  
He helped Will into the house from where he had stayed in the ambulance and once he was settled in a bedroom, Nico started boarding up the downstairs windows and reinforcing the doors. It took all day and well into the next before he was satisfied. He collapsed, exhausted beside Will in the dark room and decided to put off going to his stash until tomorrow. He fell asleep listening to Will’s quiet ramblings.

***

Nico ran into the trio when he was on his run to the old convenience store. There was nothing on the shelves, Nico and Bianca had stashed everything in the very last storage room and taken the key. Generally, people were too rushed or stupid to thoroughly check after the first few empty rooms.

These three though, they didn't seem to be looking for food. They sat in a loose circle, the girl was using a cane, sharpened to a dangerous point, to draw in the dirt, a diagram of something. The cane wasn't the only odd thing they carried. Strapped all over them were strange objects made deadly. The green eyed boy had what looked like a ballpoint pen that he was spinning around, it was larger than normal, thanks to the attachments on either side. Nico didn't know how effective it would be in a fight, but, hey, the guy was still alive so that must count for something. Kudos to him for making life ultra difficult by using a pen to survive.  
Nico, himself, had gone less...make-shift with his weapons. As soon as Nico was sure Will was stable enough to leave on his own for more than an hour at a time, he got himself a weapon.  
Most houses were abandoned, so many people had died (or gone crazy with the infection), it wasn't exactly surprising, but most of them had already been swept of everything useful.  
It had taken him two weeks to find anything but guns,(it was the apocalypse in America, of course there were guns hidden in almost every house.) For a gun to really be useful, you had to hit the infected in a fatal spot, (Head, heart, some artery in the leg (according to Will) etc..) Nico learned the hard way that he sucked at that. His gunmanship wasn’t exactly the best. He found out that it was easiest for him to stab them or chop their heads off. That's right, Nico, too, had lost some of his morals. What did you expect?  
Still, he liked to have a gun on him, just in case.  
The man that got Bianca infected often popped into his mind when he touched the firearm at his hip.  
If one of them had had a gun that night…  
He made Will take a gun for the same reason. Although Will had somehow managed to keep his moral compass on track Nico had managed to convince him. Will wasn't a huge fan of violence, but it was kind of hard to avoid considering the situation.

Nico had finally found a sword, in some sort of collectors basement, hidden in a chest under a cheap blanket. It was balanced enough but the blade was dull. Whetstone was harder to find but once he did, it was hard to imagine what would have happened without the sword. It had saved his life on more than one occasion. He got a dagger for Will, who only agreed to carry it because it might save someone one day, not because he ever intended to take a life. He still believed everyone could be saved. Nico had been cured once, he thought maybe he could do it for the entire world, what with the notes and such. It was kind of admirable, stupidly optimistic, but admirable nonetheless.

On colder nights, the ones where they curled together unconsciously, Will would ramble on about anything on his mind, what he had done in the hospital, his old life, his dead family. He briefly mentioned his two half-siblings, but he had such a pained look on his face that Nico had moved the conversation along. The blond liked to talk about the summer camp he went to. He mentioned a guy named Leo and his girlfriend Calypso, talking vaguely about his other friends too, sharing how he still had hope they were alive.  
(He remembered Leo solely because he thought it would be a good idea to jump through the bonfire and ended up having his clothes catch on fire.  
“How did he get a girlfriend again?” Nico had asked sleepily,  
“Good question.” Will had laughed. He had a nice laugh.)  
Will talked about all of it. Nico shared too, sometimes. Not for a while but eventually it all came tumbling out.  
It was on one of these nights that they had their first kiss. They were both crying, not sobbing, just letting themselves hurt for everything they lost. It was emotional and salty and both burst out laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the moment, but it was perfect.

It was now, in front of these three strangers that Nico pulled out his gun. If they tried to attack him, he could shoot one by surprise, and probably a second one too, if he was quick and they were stupid. He wouldn't aim to kill, obviously, he did still have his basic human decency, maybe they were just like him and Will. Trying to live a life in hell. If it came down to it, he would aim for the feet. He could get away if they were injured.

Suddenly, the blonde girl, with mud in her curls and filth on her shirt, stomped on her diagram, sending up a puff of dirt. She rubbed her face and groaned in frustration. The other two sighed and started to re-draw it.

"Why did we leave them behind?" She raged, getting to her feet. "It was stupid," she said, pacing close enough that Nico had to adjust his position so he wasn't seen.

The two boys shared a cautious look before the taller one got up as well. He wrapped an arm around her, leaning in to place his head on hers. "If we took them with us, they would have known we caught on." He reasoned.

Nico was very confused. Who would know? What did they leave behind?

"They probably know anyways!" She said, exasperated, "And we don't even have anything to show for it!" She huffed, throwing her arms around wildly.

The guy sighed fondly, "They don't know, Wisegirl. We made sure of that, remember?"

‘Oh shit,’ Nico thought. ‘Did this guy kill people? Like un-infected people? With that spooky pen of his?’ As gnarly as that was, Nico could think of better ways to die. Less...embarrassing.  
(‘Oh, how did you die?  
Oh, me? You know, got stabbed to death with a pen. The usual.’)  
Yeah. No thanks.

The blond girl shook her head in disappointment. As if they hadn't just been talking about murdering human beings, if anything she looked slightly miffed.  
"Yeah, but it still would have been nice.’’ she pursed her lips in frustration, hand going to fiddle with the mud on her faded orange shirt, looking for the world like a girl on a mission. She pushed away from him, calling something about looking around for something to eat.  
Striking green eyes followed her before settling down on the dirt again. The two started quietly discussing whatever was smudged in the dirt at their feet.

Nico turned, assuring himself that he could come back later, when they were gone, that way there was no trouble. Besides, Nico was sure he and Will had enough supplies to last at least a little while if they had to.

“Hey Grover, what about-” The boy cut himself off with a yelp of pain, groping his side in surprise.  
“Percy!” The other boy exclaimed, rushing to his friend's side. “Are you alright? Did you pull your stitches?’’ He questioned, helping his friend sit up.  
The boy in question sighed in resignation, “No, no. I'm fine, just strained it a little again.” He waved off, his friend relaxing slightly at the reassurance.  
Settling back into his place, the boy apparently had no qualms about poking fun at his friend.  
“Out of bed before your stitches are healed.” he tsked playfully, “What would Will say.”  
Nico froze in place.  
It was just a coincidence. Yeah. It had to be.  
Just a coincidence.  
Even as he thought that, his feet stayed locked in place. Traitors.  
‘Percy’ let out a bark of laughter, “I would tell Will he could kiss my ass.” They dissolved into laughter, before seemingly sobering quickly.  
With a sigh, the boy with sparkling green eyes said, “I know it was dumb, but I thought we’d find him here.”  
“It was’t dumb, Seaweedbrain,” The blonde girl called, suddenly re-appering from behind an empty shelf, with a full water bottle and a box of cereal, “It was optimistic.” She grinned at him before plopping down in the dirt. “Besides, we don’t know what happened. He could still be alive somewhere.” Tossing the water bottle to Grover, she continued, “I found a locked storage room, I don't know if anything is inside but it might be worthwhile, I mean, we are starting to run low back at camp.”  
She opened the cereal, Lucky Charms, grabbing a handful before passing the box to her companions.  
Grover huffed as he pulled out a scoop from the box without a single marshmallow, “I’ll take a look at it, see what I can do.”  
The girl nodded thoughtfully, “It's almost exactly like that one you picked back in that old warehouse.”  
Grover glanced up in surprise, one eyebrow raised, “Really?’’ He shrugged mildly, “Awesome, shouldn’t take more than ten minutes, we could be back at camp within the hour.”  
The other boy, Percy, who was looking out the window at the sun sending its golden glow dancing across green fields, asked quietly, “You guys think it would be a long shot to check that hospital up the way?’’ He rubbed the back of his neck absently, “I mean I know we came up here to check all the stores and houses, his house, but I think he mentioned something about applying, you know, before all this.”  
That was it, it couldn't be a coincidence.  
They both turned to the blonde, who signed contemplatively, “I mean, it’s a little out of the way, but it is possible, we do have the gas to do it so that shouldn't be a problem. It's also where I would have gone after what happened to his family. Besides, if it's abandoned, I know Austin would be ecstatic about new supplies.”

Finally, Nico cracked. He emerged from the shadows, the gun held almost lazily in one hand .  
“I wouldn’t go there.” They all jumped, Grover and the blonde assuming a fighting formation seamlessly around their injured friend.(Who rose unsteadily, wielding that gnarly pen and cradling his side subconsciously.) “It exploded a month ago, now it’s overrun.”

The blonde eyed him suspiciously, “Who are you?’’ She asked in a low, dangerous voice, she didn’t look like someone used to being snuck up on. Nico didn't answer, surveying them critically. He didn’t trust them. They seemed to know Will, cared about him enough to check his house and know his workplace. Still. Trusting people these days could get you killed.

“How do you know Will Solace?’’ He questioned before he could think better of it.  
His response took them off-guard, the girls eyes narrowing and her stance tightening. Her injured partner, however, seemed a little...impulsive. He pushed through his comrades, approaching Nico before either of them could grab him. “We’re his friends. We met at summer camp then went to Uni together. Do you know where he is?’’ He stopped a few feet away, his hands raised slightly, “His brother and sister are back at our camp.” Just like that, Nico was at full alertness, his grip tightened on the gun handle.  
This was a mistake. He had to leave. His knuckles had gone white from his death grip on the weapon.  
“Lee’s dead.” Nico grit out, inching backwards.  
Percy shook his head moving closer, “I was talking about his half-siblings, Kayla and Austin.”  
The boy took a step too close for Nico’s liking and he flipped his sword out of his belt, steadying it even with the guy's throat. He shifted the gun so it was trained on the two further back. He might have seemed like the one in control, but he was starting to feel suffocated, like there was too much going on at once, he needed to leave. He needed to get away from these people as soon as possible.  
“Woah, easy there.” Percy’s eyes widened at the dark, lethal metal in front of him. “Look, man. I’ve got proof, okay? That's what you want right? Proof that we know him?’’ Nico looked at him warily, then he nodded.

There was a shuffle from somewhere in the store and they all froze.

A deep throaty groan sounded around the room.

Suddenly, Nico found himself back to back with the strangers in the middle of the convenience store, forming a square to watch all directions. There were semi-erratic footsteps sounding around the store, a gurgling whimpering echoing off the brick wall. Dust and dirt shifted over the cracked tiles, beams of the slowly setting sun caught the edges of shelves. The quiet shuffling surrounding them brought an eerie tension. The group of four were silent until the staggering figures started pouring in from around the shelves. The three comrades engaged them like clockwork, easily covering each other's backs as well as their own. They played a dangerous game of ‘cat and mouse’ leading the infected across each other's paths for their partner to slice down with whatever dangerous, homemade weapon they were sporting. Nico had only a moment to admire their fighting strategy before a wave flooded in on him. He swung in a calculated arc, decapitating three of his attackers, but more kept shoving their way through the narrow walkways. He ran his sword through a middle aged woman’s chest, flinching back as blood oozed sluggishly around the dark metal. You couldn't get any of that shit on you. Fortunately, most of the time their blood was too thick to splatter, one good thing he supposed. He kind of wished whatever god happened to be out there would give them another good thing, especially as the woman dropped to the ground, taking his sword still buried in her breast, with her. His wrist twisted as her weight tore the handle from his grip. A man, or what used to be a man, surged forward, arms reaching greedily for Nico. It was pure instinct that had him dropping to a crouch and kicking in its decaying kneecaps. Nico scrambled up, heart pounding wildly. Legs buckling under him, the man fell to the floor, Nico slammed the bottom of his foot into the man's skull. It stilled, another body being added to the growing number of corpses littered around them. More groans made him look up, towards the mass of infected closing in on them.  
He needed his fucking sword. God’s damn it all. He couldn't risk using his gun, not when there were already so many, the shots would only bring in more and Nico might have been a pessimist but he didn’t think they could handle more. He didn't think his companions would appreciate the extra company either.  
He really wasn’t sure what he was thinking as he grabbed hold of the metal shelf. In all honesty, he was pretty sure he wasn't thinking as he shoved his shoulder into the hard surface.  
Please don't crush anyone alive. Nico thought to himself. An involuntary grunt slipped past his lips as he threw his weight into the shelving.  
It was up on two wheels when a clawed hand grasped his pant leg.  
He swore, feeling his pulse race as he frantically kicked at his attacker. He connected with its left eye, staggering as his balance was thrown off, before drawing back again and stomping down hard. He felt more than heard the sickening crack under his shoe. He didn't allow himself to relax, not as he saw the shelf leaning the wrong fucking way.  
Nico ran at it, barreling his shoulder into the metal and letting his momentum bring down the shelf onto the herd on the other side. He toppled, legs flying over his head. He landed on his ass, pain shooting tremors up his spine.  
Dazed, he looked up at his accomplishment. Arms were sticking out from under the beige shelving, a mass of infected squirming beneath it. Nico didn’t hesitate pulling his sword from the corpse. He didn’t get to relish in the feeling of being suitably armed again as more creatures stumbled towards him. The loud crash of the shelf alerting more infected of their location.  
Should have just used the gun.  
Now, Nico had handled his fair share of crazy odds but this, this was insane. The noise of their fighting attracted more Infected and every now and again, one slipped past their defenses. There were numerous times Nico had to slice one before it could attack one of his three...acquaintances. He was almost positive they did the same for him because, well, at the end of it, he was alive.

As the last body dropped, Nico put a little space between them again.  
“We must have been talking loud enough for them to hear,” The girl whispered as she surveyed the wreckage. There was dirt and mud splattered over them and Nico could see the faint sheen of sweat lingering after their recent fight. They were very good fighters. There was no way in hell Nico would be able to take all three of them. But, they didn’t just let him die. That seemed like a point in their favor.  
“You said you had proof you knew Will.” Nico prompted quietly.  
The boy didn’t question the sudden subject change, he just silently pulled a black cord around his neck out from under his shirt. There were coloured beads strung across it, and Nico knew the story behind every one of them. He had been told about the tradition Will had with his friends, a bead for every summer he spent at camp.  
He stared quietly for a moment, before relaxing. He fished a key from his pocket, gesturing with a nod for them to follow. He led them back towards the storage room and opened it with a quiet squeak that had them all flinching. Ushering them inside, he closed the door behind himself. The room was just as full as it had been the last time he was here a month ago, but it seemed to stir a shock from his companions. He paid them no mind as he loaded his backpack with the essentials he came for.  
“Will’s hurt.” He informed them when the dim artificial light flickered on inside the room. “He got a nasty concussion from the explosion at the hospital last month and we’ve been lying low ever since.” Nico packed as much dried meat as he could find before moving on. “We came here two days ago. This was the first chance I got to come down here, but I do need to get back before it gets dark or it’ll put Will and I in danger,” He glanced over at them to find them gawking at him. He had enough self-control to turn his back before rolling his eyes. “Listen,” He shoved the last bottled water into his bag before turning. “I don’t care if you trust me, I could stand here and tell you the story behind every bead on that necklace, but I'm not going to, because I’m running out of time.” Mentally, Nico ran through the list of things Will had suggested grabbing, he really was running late. Opening the door after dark was like inviting the infected right to your doorstep. “You can take what you want and leave, or you can take what you want and come with me.” he paused for a moment, listening to them beginning to sort through all the contents. They would have got in anyway, he told himself, if Grover’s lock picking skills were to be believed.

“You’re packing foods high in protein and Omega-3. Both things someone recovering from a concussion needs.” The girl's voice sounded.  
When Nico looked over at her, she had her head tilted thoughtfully, arm around a box of canned beans.  
“You don’t say.” he deadpanned dryly. ‘Maybe, because I am treating someone with a concussion.’ He thought to himself spitefully. And he might have said it too, if he hadn’t seen how well this chick held her own in a fight. He might have been rash sometimes, but, contrary to popular belief, he didn’t have a death wish.

To say he was surprised when she laughed would have been an understatement. “Oh, I see why Will likes you.” The admission had him dropping a can of green beans on his foot. The two boys sniggering had him scowling instinctively. “You are just his type.” She laughed, turning to pack away her findings. If Nico had turned red at the comment, he didn’t have to acknowledge it as they left the room and he locked it.  
The Italian cursed under his breath when he saw the sun casting a few pathetic rays across the land. Turning the sky a dark crimson before fading into a dark blue. The trio followed him as he headed for the door but stilled when he started trekking up the hill under the weight of his bag. Stopping when they called out about a car, he turned to them with a grimace.  
Using a car would be nice but, “It’ll draw too much attention. You’re welcome to go if you want though.” Grunting slightly he made his way up the inclined land. His shoulder was throbbing, the rush of adrenaline no longer present to make the pain bearable. He adjusted the strap of his bag as casually as he could. Quick footsteps sounded before they caught up to him.  
“You really don’t want us coming, huh?’’ Percy glanced at him.  
Nico attempted a shrug, the strap sliding right back to where it had previously been, he tried to hide his wince with a scowl, “I don’t really care either way. You all can obviously fight, which is a plus, but if you put Will in danger, I’d rather you just fuck off.” Nico griped quietly but with no small amount of malice.  
There was silence as they traveled, before Percy whispered softly, “You know, we don’t plan on putting either of you in danger, right?’’  
Taking a second to re-evaluate this character, he saw that this guy didn’t seem as light and carefree as Nico might have thought. There was a distinct weight on his shoulder, and Nico didn’t mean the pack filled with canned goods, it was a weight that he carried as if the important burden had become a part of him after bearing it for so long.  
At this thought, Nico grunted, “You think I’d let you near him if you did?” It wasn’t a question.

***

When the door creaked open, Will tensed instinctively. He had his gun raised to the door, of course he hoped he would never have to use it, but, well, maybe Nico had rubbed off on him a bit.  
A dark puff of hair poked through the door and he relaxed. “Hey,” he greeted softly, smiling as Nico inched into the room.  
“Hey,” the Italian said, lips twitching slightly. He looked wary and Will tensed again.  
His eyes scanned over Nico, searching for any signs of injury. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Nico, I swear to god. I knew I should have gone with you.” Before Will could properly work himself into a frenzy, Nico laughed lightly and he was suddenly very distracted. It was a very distracting sound, okay? So, maybe he was weak for this boy. Whatever.  
“I’m fine,” He reassured, coming further into the room and setting his bag on the ground, “It’s just-” He sighed, sounding...resigned?  
Will grabbed his hand, drawing him closer, “What is it?” he asked, concerned. He rubbed the back of a pale hand with his thumb, staring intently at Nico. The dark haired boy just huffed and looked pointedly at the door.  
Turning, Will almost screamed when he saw the figure watching him from the door. Then he recognized her, “Annabeth?” Under all the grime, tan skin and blonde hair were there.  
She smiled, “Will,” She affirmed, and stepped into the room, moving to embrace him. He felt more than saw Nico go ridged. The embrace felt good, an overwhelming sense of dread he had been trying to ignore was lifted slightly. When she let go of him, Will saw Nico watching her with narrowed eyes.  
“Oh stop.” Will said lightly, pushing his chest gently. “She’s fine.”  
Nico’s gaze didn’t move. “People change.”  
Will rolled his eyes, “You wouldn't have brought her here if you didn’t trust her.” His dark eyebrow quirked slightly, “At least, a little.” He amended.  
Huffing again, Nico started unpacking his bag.  
Will’s attention was soon directed at the two new figures pressing through the door. The boy's blue eyes widened, “Grover? Percy?” After receiving hugs from both of them, he turned to Nico in shock, “How? I mean- What?” Good job, Will. Very articulate.  
Getting to his feet, Nico ignored his question. Most of the food he had got from the storage room was spread over the top of the dresser, but Nico hefted his bag and stalked to the door.  
“I’ll be right back,” he paused in the doorway, glancing back at them, “Don’t- uh, do anything dumb, okay?”  
Will watched him go with narrowed eyes before sighing and flopping gently on the bed.  
“That boy, I swear.” Will said, shaking his head fondly. Glancing over at his friends, he saw three very different reactions. Annabeth was smiling knowingly, (really, that didn't surprise him.) Grover was watching him with a raised eyebrow, and Percy, Percy just looked confused.  
Snorting roughly, Grover spoke, “It seriously took the apocalypse for you to find the man of your dreams?”  
Percy spluttered at Grover’s statement, green eyes wide, “You’re gay?” They all stared at him, before bursting out laughing. Grover's cheeks were red as he struggled to regain his breath. Wills head pounded and he forced himself to calm down, though the indignant look on Percy’s face threatened to send him over the edge again.  
“Perce,” Will laughed, breathlessly, “I was dating Palo for, like, eight months.”  
His jaw dropped, “I thought you were roommates!” he threw his hands into the air and it sent everyone spiraling back into fits. A sharp pain in Will’s temple reminded him that, no, he should not be laughing so hard. He sobered, cupping a hand to his temple in a vain attempt to stop the pounding.  
With a frown, starkly in contrast to the grin that had been there seconds ago, Annabeth asked gently, “How bad was it?”  
He waited for the pain to recede before answering, “For a while it wasn’t looking good,” he admitted, “Nico’s been amazing though.” He remembered the nights Nico had patiently sat beside him as he threw up the food the boy had worked so hard to find, rubbing his back and whispering comforts. Will had tried to keep the food down, he really had, he was just so nauseous all the time. Nico had to constantly reassure him he wasn’t a burden, giving him water and pinning up blankets to block out the light. Will was lucky to have him.  
Annabeth was watching him curiously, “He really cares about you, you know.”  
Will grinned at her, “Oh, I know.”  
She quirked an eyebrow at him, “I still don’t think he really trusts us.” she remarked.  
Shaking his head with an affectionate smile he said, “He’ll come around. Run out of an exploding building together, it worked for me.”  
Laughing, softly this time, they settled in, Annabeth sitting on the edge of the bed, Grover leaning casually against the wall and Percy taking the liberty to flop down gracefully next to Will.  
“What’s with the charm?” Percy questioned, noticing the metal dangling from Will’s bead necklace.  
The blond glanced down at the offending subject, a beautifully designed ornament depicting the sun and the moon. “Nico got it for me. "Will smiled at them, “He seems all brooding and mean, but he’s actually a big softy. I promise.”  
Looking amused, but with something softer under the surface Annabeth confessed, “I’m glad you’re okay. I- We all missed you.” Will smiled softly at her, it was good to see them again.  
They talked for a long time, catching up with each other. Will told them about his time at the hospital and in return, they told him about how they were holed up at their summer camp. They'd built up reinforcements around the perimeter of the camp and had around the clock coverage of the walls. Will was over the moon to hear about Kayla and Austin. He hadn’t let himself think about them much. Let alone talk about them, even to Nico. They were both younger than him, he didn’t think he could bear the thought that something had happened to either of them. If he had to pathetically wipe away some tears, his friends were nice enough not to mention it.  
They were quietly discussing the camp's infirmary when Nico nudged the door open. Pausing, he surveyed them quietly before moving towards the nightstand. There were orange ceramic bowls tucked under his arm and in that same hand there were a few sets of plastic cutlery. What really drew attention to him though, was the large pot in his other hand, the smell wafting out of it made Will’s mouth water. Dishing out the meal, he quietly passed a bowl to each of them, dismissing the wide eyed stares from his new companions. He settled on the chair next to the bed, picking at the spaghetti and meatballs in his own bowl.  
“Seriously?” Will asked. Nico looked at him in alarm, like he expected to be berated. “I mention my favorite food one time and the first chance you get, you’re making it for me.” Will smiled brightly at him, “You’re adorable.” Will watched contentedly as Nico flushed a cute shade of red, looking away shyly. The food was incredible, well, for the apocalypse at least. The pasta fell apart slightly in places and the meatballs were a bit dry unless they were drenched in the red sauce, but it tasted delicious.  
Will, noticing that his three friends had yet to try the food, asked in confusion, “Are you guys not hungry? It’s gonna go cold.”  
Annabeth was considering Nico tactfully, Grover looked slightly awed, and Percy, well, he looked confused again.  
The green eyed boy stuttered, “Where- I mean, How did-” There was a pinch forming between his brows, “What is this?” He gestured dumbly at the food.  
Nico scowled, “Well sorry it's not gourmet, I didn’t exactly have a lot to work with.” He was picking at the spaghetti again, as if it had offended him by falling apart.  
Percy recovered, “No, no, I just meant,” He cleared his throat, “There was no pasta in the storage room. Or, you know, meatballs..?”  
Nico looked taken aback. He glanced up at Will uncertainty, “There was flour, I made it work. It kind of sucks because there were no eggs,” His pale arm gestured at nothing as he talked and Will had to bite back a smile, “Also the meatballs aren’t great because I had to use the dried meat, but I figured if used some of the tomato paste-” He cut himself off from his mini ramble and shifted uncomfortably under their stares.  
Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, Will leaned over and pecked him on the lips lightly, “You’re wonderful, thank you.” The Italian blushed a deeper shade of scarlet and grumbled as he turned back to his cooling pasta. Even so, he wasn’t quite able to hide his satisfied smile.

***

It had been about two months since they had arrived with the trio. The summer camp, as well as it was described, was more than Nico could have imagined.  
When they had pulled up in the ambulance, trailing the trio’s blue Honda accord, the huge metal gate standing imposingly between two large trees had been hauled open. Driving across the grounds, Nico could see many(so so many) children milling about. That's right, Children. Most were around his age, but some looked as young as six or seven. Lots had been practice-fighting with long sticks in a large, circular sand pit, but when they saw the three teenagers hop out of the car, they swarmed them like bees to a hive. It was almost terrifying to behold; a herd of dirty children rushing at a car with an armful of sticks. Nico wasn’t surprised when the trio took it all in stride, like they had expected it. They probably had.  
The ambulance was loaded to the brim with the rest of Nico’s food stash and the camp seemed ecstatic about it.  
Kayla and Austin broke into tears when Will stepped into the infirmary, not that Will was much better. Nico had been content to watch as the two siblings embraced their brother. They looked like Will. Not so much with their physical attributes, darker hair and skin, but in the way they lit up the room around them with piercing smiles. The three of them together had smiles so bright Nico was surprised he didn’t go blind just from watching.  
His spectatorship didn’t last long, not with Will pulling him in for watery introductions and hugs that Nico would have deemed uncomfortable if he hadn’t been so in love with the stupid boy and that, by extension, made his family tolerable.  
Unfortunately, it wasn't all pleasantries that awaited them at Camp-half-blood. Not when they were sat down around a table with the grim looking teenagers. An intel run, Nico found, is what Annabeth, Percy and Grover had been on when they’d crossed paths with each other. It was around that table that they had finally learned who set the explosion at the hospital.  
Annabeth licked her chapped lips, speaking gravely, “These people, we've met them before. They call themselves Gaia’s protectors.” Her grey eyes sent chills down Nico’s spine. “They have this notion that this plague is the earth's way of saying it needs weak human life to-” She sighed rubbing the bridge of her nose, “Well, cease to exist. They got wind of the cure, of Nico's recovery. And they freaked. We’ve been trailing them for awhile now.” She shifted, looking uncomfortable, regretful. “I was part of their group. At the start of all this.” Grey eyes developed a far-away look as she continued, “I was with Thalia and this guy- Luke.” Her lips pursed. “We were recruited into their ranks, and Luke was power hungry. He eventually climbed to a high enough position to learn what they were doing. Then he started to keep us in the dark. We- Thalia and I, we tried to get him to leave but- I didn’t- I didn’t know what they stood for before it was too late. They went around slaughtering innocent people and taking their possessions. Thalia...she- She got me out. But she got shot when we were-” Annabeth’s jaw was clenched tightly, eyes glazed slightly. Percy laid a reassuring hand in hers. She glanced gratefully at him, squeezing tightly before continuing. “They consider themselves superior. The strongest the human race has to offer. That's why they destroyed the hospital and everyone who knew anything about the cure.”  
It had been a lot to take in. Nico imagined that the three counselors faced a similar state of shock when they had presented the notes they’d attained on the cure.  
Will barely had to fight to keep the notes in his possession, claiming that he had the most reliable knowledge on the production procedure. (And Will might have mentioned how he had ‘a cute, talented, badass boyfriend’ to help keep them safe. But Nico felt embarrassed by that last bit so he tried in vain to ignore it.)  
The medic tended to spend a good amount of time in the infirmary with his siblings pouring over the cramped writing, that is, if he wasn’t fixing up all the injuries that popped up around camp.

Will showed to be eerily comfortable working in the camp infirmary, despite being subject to much more advanced technology back at the hospital, and set to work finally patching up Percy properly.  
(“You call those stitches, Jackson?”  
“Suck it, Solace. We did a great job. Right, G Man?”  
“Totally bro.”  
“Yeah. Neither of you should become doctors. Now get your ass over here Percy, I need to fix this mess or I might have to kill you.  
“You wouldn't. You know you need my medical expertise”)

It was...nice. The gentle comradery and calm nature.  
That said, after two weeks of no action, Nico was starting to get antsy.

The camp had an impressive stash of supplies, only heightened by the new food from the convenience store. Because of this, there was really no valid reason for the supply run but, well, Nico was feeling particularly agitated. The mall was just right there. And Nico was just so restless. Looking back, he reasoned that sneaking out without telling anyone was probably not the best idea, but they were already there so they might as well check it out. Yeah. Oh god, Will was going to murder him.  
With that happy thought, he shut the door of the car with a resounding click, glancing over as Piper gracefully hopped out after him.  
“Well,” She drew a deep breath into her lungs, spinning in place to admire the deserted parking lot, “Jason is so gonna kick my ass for this.”  
Nico shot her a look, eyebrows raised.  
“He’s gonna try.” She amended.  
Nico wasn’t great at making friends but Piper, she was something else. Not only was she able to carry the conversation between them based almost completely on Nico’s less than minimalistic replies, she also happened to be just as reckless as he was. Normally, when one catches you sneaking out, they give you a scolding and send your pathetic ass back to camp, not join you on your incredibly stupid adventure. But, here she was, choppy hair whipping wildly at her tan skin, hands defiantly on her hips looking over towards a half-collapsed building.  
“C’mon, slowpoke, we’re burning daylight over here.” Brown braids swooshed as she stalked to the entrance, “If we hurry we might make it back before they even notice we’re gone.” Shoving his hands roughly into his aviator jacket pockets, Nico snorted at the comment. Yeah, that was likely. Glancing over her shoulder, Piper smiled sardonically, “Yeah, you’re right. Your mother-hen boyfriend gets concerned about everything.” The door looked weathered and old, strung up on rusted hinges practically begging Piper to dig her blade into the crack and wedge it open. “That's right, I saw how Will flipped his shit about you going to training without eating breakfast.” The statement was teasing, a slight lilt in her tone that had Nico's mouth twitching.  
When the door popped open, musty air seeped out of the entrance like puss from a wound. There were dark shadows draping every inch of the foreseeable interior.  
“You say that like Jason is so much better.” Nico pointed out, stepping carefully through the gaping doorway.  
Following with much less affliction, Piper conceded, “True. Two whole dumbasses, huh?”  
A moan rang through the air, startling Nico into action. A shuffling from his left had his attention narrowing with pinpoint precision. Two quick, precise swings and the body fell to the ground. Though the man was dressed in a designer suit, his skin was rotted and covered in blood, arms barely anything but white bone shining through flayed skin. His nails, elongated slightly and sharpened jaggedly, were covered in a dark purple rot. If you let the bacteria from those nasty things get into your bloodstream...well, you were as good as dead. Not in Nico’s case last time, but he was pretty sure he wouldn't be so lucky again.  
The longer Nico looked at him, the more distasteful the sight became.  
“You sure we’re not the dumbasses?”  
Unconcerned, Piper stalked down the hall, forcing Nico into a wary jog before falling into step beside her.  
“Of course, what would ever make you think otherwise?” Poking her head around the corner, she smiled mischievously at him, “The fact then we decided to go on an impulsive vacation to a run-down mall in the midst of an apocalypse?” The grin she sent his way made Nico unsure whether he wanted to laugh or push her into the nearest infected. “Nonsense.” Unwillingly, a small, reluctant laugh slipped past his lips. It was hardly a huff of air but the way Piper’s eyes lit up victoriously, you’d think he’d announced her accomplishment of some incredible feat. He couldn't help it, her humor made her much more tolerable to be around. More than tolerable maybe. A friend. He felt a warmth settle in his bones, he was glad to have a friend like Piper.  
A second later, he wondered why.  
“Oh my god! Nico look!” Before he could even get out a semblance of warning, she was rushing around the corner, leaving him in the dust. Frantically, he raced after her, only to stop short at what he saw.  
“Really?”  
Piper looked back at him with excited eyes, already strolling through the aisles with child-akin happiness. Reluctantly, Nico stepped up and joined her, glaring at the robust gaming consoles as if they’d personally offended him.  
The arcade looked exactly how you’d expect it to look after going more than a year without any maintenance. Cobwebs dusted every surface, the over-exuberant carpet was rugged and trodden, but it was the dead games at every angle that made the experience so surreal.  
It was because he was distracted that when ‘Pac-Man’ blinked to life next to him he almost sliced Piper’s head off.  
“Shit!” She cried from where she had dropped into a crouch, “Give a girl a chance to play, you don't have to kill me for a turn, Nico.”  
Shaken out of his reprieve, he reached down to her, hauling her to her feet and trying to calm his jumpstarted heart.  
“Jesus, Piper! I almost killed you!” he scolded.  
She rolled her eyes, turning to the yellow piece of cheese displayed on the pixelated screen.  
“Oh please, I’ve knocked you on your ass during sparring more than anyone, give me some credit.”  
He scowled but didn’t deny it. He had underestimated her during their first spar, he hadn’t made the same mistake again.  
As he peered over her shoulder, he saw her wiping the sleeve of her shirt over the thick layer of dust coating the glass.  
A yellow circle was systematically chomping down on smaller yellow circles, being chased by what looked like brightly coloured ghosts. Shooting Piper an incredulous look, in which she promptly ignored in favor of slamming down on the ‘start’ button, Nico was suddenly entranced. The screen flashed and a maze appeared. Piper, unfazed as always, immediately jerks into action, thrashing the joystick into motion. She clears seven levels before a ghost finally catches her, cursing under her breath, Pac-man flashing into existence in the middle of the half-cleared maze. At some point, he finds himself leaning against the side, observing in awe as she explains the algorithms she’s been using since she was ten. She ultimately racks up what must be a rather impressive score before she cornered for the last time. Groaning, she slaps the machine in defeat, stepping back and watching Nico with an expectant look.  
“Uhh, what?”  
Her face dropped into what could only be described as disbelieving.  
“Well, are you going to play or not?”  
He, unbelievingly, finds himself grinning at the challenge in her eyes.

Admittedly, he's not as good at the game as Piper is, but he finds he’s actually enjoying himself immensely regardless. They’re in the middle of booting up a game called ‘Burger Time’ (He misses McDonald's, alright?) when a loud clamber has them flying to attention. All playfulness is gone, replaced with something heavier, more alert. Something prepared to fight for their lives. They’re back to back, each facing opposite directions in the narrow aisle, searching for the source of the noise. A light padding from the end of the passageway has Nico creeping forward.  
A scruffy black dog is limping slowly in circles. It's huge. The dog's large head reaches halfway up the nearest game cabinet. Nico doesn't doubt for a second that it would dwarf any machine in the whole room on its hind legs. Its fur is matted with mud, turning the already dark coat even darker. It would be intimidating if it weren't for the small whimpering noises coming from the animal. Something inside Nico melts and before he’s even realized it, he's taken a step towards the beast. The dog's large ears perk up, one of which is clipped jaggedly, a snarl half-heartedly formed pointed warningly at him.  
He feels his eyes widen marginally, freezing as he raises his hands in surrender.  
The dog shifts away from him slightly, yelping as weight is pressed against the injured leg.  
“Shhh, hey,” He whispers gently, creeping forward slightly as it drops to the floor, curling the damaged limb close. Impressively, keeping a snarl focused on Nico the whole time. Slowly, in hopes of not startling the injured animal, he lowers himself to his knees, stretching out a hand. A loud snap has him snatching his hand back. A warning. A growl from deep inside the animal's chest sprouts out, trying to scare any threats away, but Nico sees it for what it is. Exhaustion. Pain. Mindfully, he reaches out again, though not as far. Not to touch. An offering. Watching him warily, the dog sniffs gently at him. Rearing back and pulling to bare sharp teeth. Unwavering, Nico keeps a steady hand. Belatedly, he realizes Piper has slipped around the corner, watching closely as he tries to calm the angered dog.  
Exhaustion and pain seem to take root, and the animal settles enough that Nico reaches out to stroke lightly at the dirty fur. A sharp flinch has him retracting his hand slightly, before settling lightly on the beast's back. Staying as still as possible, he waits until it relaxes under his touch. Petting gently, he hears himself make soft noises of comfort until the dog has scooted closer to him grumbling approval into the zealous carpeting.  
Nico glanced cautiously up at Piper, raising his eyebrows and scrunching up his nose in what is most definitely not a pout. She peers down at the filthy dog, now settled heavily against Nico's legs, and nods at him hesitantly. Nico was sure he did a good job of hiding his grin.

Rustling the heavy mutt into their tiny car may have been the most trying experience of Nico's entire life, until, that is, when they pulled into camp. The ride back had been exhilarating, windows down, speeding along the deserted road, dog barking happily. But when the gates opened and he saw two tall- furious- blond men waiting, his heart stopped.  
He pulled the car sheepishly beside the big house, collecting himself for the inevitable as he sees two figures stomping closer in the rearview mirror. This was not going to be fun.  
Obviously thinking along the same lines as him, Piper leans over, elbows digging into the soft grey armrest between them, to whisper conspiratorially, “I’ll deal with yours if you deal with mine.”  
Nico tried to hide his snort of amusement, “Fine by me,” He mutters, peeking in the mirror again, barely catching a glimpse of his boyfriend's glaring face before shrinking back into his seat. “Will looks like he wants to throw me off a bridge.”  
Piper fakes a sympathetic pout as she clambers out of the car, “I’m sure it’ll be a small bridge.” she says sending him one last grin before being dragged off by an annoyed-looking Jason.

Nico doesn't know if it's a blessing or a curse that the children show up out of the blue to fawn over the dog before Will can even say a word. They end up washing the dog, clearing away mud and blood and an unfortunate amount of fleas, to uncover a dog tag. Mrs. O’Leary. Strangely fitting.  
Unfortunately, kids couldn’t save him from his boyfriend's wrath in the isolation of the infirmary.

“What were you thinking, Nico!” There is real anger in his blue eyes, “I mean, what if something had gone wrong?! Did you think about that at all?” The fury portrayed in every line of his body would have sparked something inside of Nico, make him rise to the challenge, give as good as he got, if he hadn’t seen the underlining worry sloppily hidden behind anger.  
Will...he’d been worried about him. Terrified at the prospect of Nico never coming back.  
Of course, he’d known Will cared on some level, but it was truly put into perspective when he stared into those intense eyes. Filled to the brim with panic. It made him feel like shit. He’d made this boy go near crazy with worry.

“Nothing went wrong.” He tried weakly, unsure if it was in defense or reassurance.

The blond glared harshly, “That's not the point!” He threw up his hands in exasperation, “Do you not understand how reckless that was?” He stopped pacing, “ You could have died, Nico.” The anguish on his face made Nico’s heart squeeze uncomfortably in his chest. Words stuck in his throat, but it didn’t matter, Will wasn't done. “I was looking for you everywhere! Then I find out that a car is gone! And Piper too! Both of you could have been killed! You wouldn't have had any backup, no one knew where you were! And don’t tell me you had it under control because you know just as well as I do that anything can happen out there. And what if you never came back? Huh? What then? I just- You’re so-” the fight seemed to drain out of him slightly, his steal confidence wavering,  
“I can't lose you, Nico.”  
Nico hung his head, staring at his boots as he tried in vain to keep his stomach from plummeting. The silence was heavy, so thick it was almost tangible.  
“I- I’m sorry.” He breathed, pushing the words past his lips. He needed Will to know. He needed to put the boy at ease, tell him that he didn’t plan on leaving him anytime soon. Show him that he cared. “I didn’t mean-” He was at a loss, how could he fix this? He swallowed thickly.  
Turns out, Will knew him pretty well. Well enough to know when he was being sincere at least.

“You’re so stupid,” A fond shake of the head then, “Get over here, I want a hug.”  
His arms were open in invitation, drawing Nico close before he’d even finished the sentence. He fell into the spread arms with much less grace than he’d like to admit, curling his own arms around Will’s waist and pulling him closer. He buried his face into the folds of Will’s shirt, sighing in a mixture of relief and contentment as he felt Will lean his cheek on top of his hair.  
Maybe they could just settle down for a while. Just be together and for once not worry about apocalyptic issues. They could do that here, just live. He hugged Will tighter to him.

***

It hadn’t taken him long after his spontaneous holiday to feel safe inside the camp. Among these people. He fell into an easy sleep that night, sprawled across Will in a bunk that seemed entirely too comfortable for what it was. If he was honest, it was the best sleep he’d had in months.  
It didn’t take long for the two boys to fall into a comfortable routine. Nico signed up for multiple guard watches along the wall and Will made a home in the infirmary as well as the archery lanes. (he wasn’t great at archery to begin with but his determination was a force to be reckoned with.) The kids were beyond thrilled to see Mrs. O’Leary running around without her splint, chasing after the dog only for their efforts to be thwarted as they were ambushed by a mountain of warm fur. Surprisingly, the kids had taken to Nico quite quickly after they saw him pounced on multiple times by the same ball of fur they'd come to love. Sometimes, he helped the fighting instructor, Clarisse, teach the kids defense techniques, and apparently, that meant they felt obligated to be his best friends. As traditions at summer camps would have it, Nico suddenly found himself the proud owner of an abundance of friendship bracelets. Many, mostly from the younger kids, were composed of mismatched strings with random knots tied in sporadically. It was probably the most colour he’d ever worn at one time. And yet, he never took any of them off. There were many times that Nico would hobble into the dining pavilion after training with children hanging off his shoulders and clinging to his legs. Will found it hilarious. So did the kids, and, well, that made it worth it.  
It wasn't only the children that seemed to be warming to him, but also some of the counselors too. People that he hadn't known two months ago were greeting him in the morning and inviting him to their sparring sessions. It was strange, but a good strange.  
He had been surprisingly quickly integrated into the camp's population and that's how Nico, two months after their arrival, found himself attending meetings in the big house at eight in the morning.  
“Right.” Annabeth clapped her hands together, settling the chatter around the table. “As you all know, the beta team just got back from their intel run.” She grinned widely, “We think we finally have a lead. Jason, Piper, Leo?” She sat down as they took the floor, presenting all the information they found. Nico had gone on a few (real) supply runs himself, collecting knives and any other valuables he came across, such as toothpaste. Toothpaste was a luxury nowadays so he always kept an eye out for it. But he’d yet to go on an intel run, which were few and far between with the sparse knowledge that they had about the protectors.

Nico absently tapped his fingers on his thigh as Jason started talking.  
“We were able to intercept their radio chatter and we learned a vital piece of information.” His voice was all business, like he’d rehearsed his speech in the mirror. That was an interesting thought, Nico tucked it away to poke fun at him later. Will’s hand found his under the table, appeasing his fidgeting. He smiled when Nico glanced over at him, the sort of warm smile the had his dumb heart racing in his chest. Nico most certainly didn’t flush to the tips of his ears. He was a professional, and he proved as much when he forced himself to focus on Jason’s voice, even if he didn’t take his hand back from Will. “Their leader-”

He was cut off by Leo, “Mr.Tartar sauce got Infected and now their entire cult is flipping their shit!” The excited Latino boy exploded in a bundle of nerves. Jason dropped his head in either exasperation or exhaustion. Nico couldn’t tell. Two weeks of isolation with Leo Valdez could drive even the most patient people crazy. Nico honestly didn’t know how Calypso handled it. Personally, he needed someone level-headed, preferably someone that didn’t make him want to shoot himself. Someone with a witty humor that could make him laugh. He also had a thing for blond hair and freckles. Freckles were very important. He liked it when they didn’t put up with any of his shit and- he was just describing Will, wasn’t he? Whatever.  
“...Mr.Tartar sauce?” Calypso questioned her boyfriend. He grinned at her, like he’d been hoping for the inquiry,  
“Yeah. I mean, what even are their code names?” Leo enthused, “He really couldn't come up with anything cooler than ‘Tartarus’?” The Latino looked like he could have gone on a well prepared rant when Piper cut in.  
“Anyways, we’re pretty sure that Tartarus is just in the early stages of infection.” She considered the table as she worried her bottom lip, “I’m not sure how we can use this to our advantage but, it’s good to know.” Passing the attention back to Jason with a half-hearted gesture, she settles beside Annabeth, discussing something under whispered breath.  
Pushing his glasses back up his nose, Jason nods at her before continuing, “Unfortunately, we still haven’t found a suitable location for cure production, but Pipes and I thought we could try West downtown next. There’s a medical clinic tucked in the corner of a strip mall that might be worth checking out.”  
Annabeth and Percy, as the unofficially official camp leaders, nod along with the information before making some last minute points and dismissing the meeting.

Will dragged Nico through the door, hands still laced together tightly, barely a second after the words fell from Percy’s mouth.  
The ground was damp underfoot, but the sun was shining brightly above them, casting warm rays of light over them as they walked.  
Will led him along the wall, almost at the edge of the boundary, but he stopped suddenly. Before Nico could turn to look at him, he felt hands slide over his eyes.  
“Wha- Will, what are you doing?”  
“Shh, it's a surprise.”  
“...Really?” Nico deadpanned, thoroughly unimpressed.  
“Yup.” Will said confidently, hands staying firmly in place as he pushed them both back into a walk.  
“What if we get attacked?” Nico joked, giving in to his boyfriend’s scheming.  
“I’ll protect you.”  
“Oh?” Nico jested lightly, ignoring the warmth the words sent through him.  
“Yes. Now shut it, we’re almost there.”  
When they came to a halt, Will’s hands finally slid from his face.  
In front of him, a blanket was spread across the ground. It was tucked neatly against the wall, a small gathering of fruit and sandwiches lying innocently along the edge.  
“Ta-da!” Will exclaimed proudly, arms flying out dramatically.  
Nico nodded along with him, squinting down at the blanket.  
“What’d ya think?” Will asked excitedly.  
Nico blinked at him, “Oh, um. It's great.” he stared at it again, trying to figure out exactly what it was that he was looking at.  
Will’s entire face fell. “You’re kidding, right?”  
Nico stayed silent, looking hard at the setting before him. Why was he supposed to be impressed? It...was just a blanket?  
“You have no idea what this is, do you?” Will questioned.  
Nico reared back, indignant, “I do too!”  
“Oh yeah? What is it then?”  
“Uh…”  
Will looked fond as he shook his head, “Only you, Di Angelo, only you.” The blond grabbed his hand again, drawing him down to the blanket. “Would be completely oblivious to the concept of a picnic.”  
Nico felt his face scrunch, “We’re...having a picnic.” he frowned, picking at a loose thread on the worn blanket. “Why?”  
Will groaned, flopping onto his back, “Becauseee!” he whined, “It's romantic!” golden hair shone in the sun, reflecting the light to make it look like Will was glowing. He rolled over to shoot Nico a pout. Nico was smiling, god, this boy was such a dork. “And,” Will said, quieter this time, propping himself up on his elbows to smile shyly at him. “I wanted to spend some time with you.” his face flushed as he said it, biting his lip timidly. Nico felt something inside him turn to goo. “It’s just,” Will looked away from him, “I’ve been busy with the whole cure thing and you have all your training and patrol and supply runs…” Will sighed, dropping his elbows to lay flat on the ground, “It just seems like we haven’t really seen each other much lately.”  
Nico bit the inside of his cheek, Will was right, Nico hadn’t realized how much he wanted to be alone with his boyfriend. Tentatively, he crawled towards him, settling carefully at his side. He took Will’s warm hand into his own.  
“I know,” he said softly, “but what we’re both doing is important.” Will rolled his head to look at him, blue eyes focused solely on Nico. “I know how much working on the cure means to you and you know how much all the training and patrol means to me. But..” Nico leaned down, planting an elbow beside Will’s head, “I missed you too. So, thank you. For setting this up, I mean. Working around our schedules and everything.” I love you. He should say it, right now. Will was looking up at him, eyes warm and happy. He should just say it. But then he was being pulled down, Will’s hand sliding into his hair and connecting their lips. God, he was warm. And kind. And beautiful, and smart, and funny. He was perfect, and just so Will.  
Nico threw his leg over Will’s waist, straddling him as he deepened the kiss. He felt Will’s tongue trace across his bottom lip, felt the hand on his hip and the one tugging his hair. Heard the click of the film camera.  
Wait, what.  
Nico jerked up, whipping his head around to see Piper and Jason sprinting behind the nearest building.  
Oh no.  
He flushed from the tips of his ears to his toes, looking down in mortification at a breathless Will.  
“Oh, by the way, Jason and Piper helped me set everything up. Why do you think Leo was suddenly interested in taking the midday patrol?” The boy under him might have been out of breath but he was still able to laugh as Nico buried his burning face in his chest.  
“Oh my god.” He said, the embarrassment muffled slightly in the boy’s shirt.  
Will’s arms came up behind his back, rubbing along his spine, “Think I could get a copy of the picture?”  
“Oh my god.” he felt Will’s chest shaking with laughter. “I swear I’m burning it.” He didn’t need to see it to know Will was pouting.

When the small film polaroid mysteriously appeared on his and Will’s bunk later that day, he felt like his face was going to catch on fire. It wasn’t a big picture nor was it of the best quality, but when Nico actually looked at the film, his heart caught in his throat. Nico hadn’t ever really thought about what they looked like to the outside world when they kissed, always too absorbed in the actual task. But when he looked at the picture, he saw that was exactly what they looked like as well. Wrapped around each other, focus entirely on each other. Nico knew he was blushing when he slid the photo casually into his jacket pocket. Will didn’t look like he’d noticed, but just before he turned, Nico saw the amused grin etched on his face. He flushed even darker.


	2. You're not here to get me through it all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico finds out that what little solace he can find in the midst of an apocalypse, can easily slip away...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this drafted up under 3000 words. I seem to have become slightly carried away...  
> Hope you enjoy the final chapter :)

_I let my guard down  
And then you pulled the rug_

_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

_  
.............................._

Turns out, they didn't need to worry about figuring out what to do about the Tartarus situation. Tartarus made the decision for them.

What started as a regular afternoon quickly became the most brutal slaughter Nico had ever seen.

The gate had crashed open and Nico was convinced he was dreaming as a herd of infected started to stumble through. He had to be dreaming, if a herd had been heading in their direction, they would have had warning from whoever was standing post. He didn’t remember climbing the watch station steps or cutting down the few infected that had managed to worm their way past their secondary defenses. He vaguely recalled taking in the sliced hinges.(Yes, sliced. Not bent or warped, sliced. Which could only mean they'd been cut with something, not wrenched open by the brute force of a massive herd.) But the world halted around him as he saw the limp body of Charles Beckendorf with an arrowhead peeking out the back off his skull. Blood oozed sluggishly from the wound, flowing steadily to the crease of his neck, drying there. Beckendorf had been there awhile, from the looks of it, long enough for someone to cut through metal hinges. Nico was frozen, staring in horror at the body of the man in front of him, until a scream tore through the air. He flinched so hard he stumbled into the wall. There was no air in his lungs but he managed to pull down on the warning rope with shaking hands. The bell rang loudly.  
One.  
Two.  
Three.  
Three was their code for panic. Panic seemed about right for the situation.  
Another scream had him whipping around bolting for the door after only a second's hesitation, eyes darting over the hunched body crumpled beside him. Even as he jolted into action, everything felt as if it were moving in slow motion. Even more so when he landed at the bottom of the steps to see Ira, a nine year old girl that had insisted on making him a yellow and green friendship bracelet, struggling against the infected that had managed to pin her to the ground. Her long sweater sleeves were pulled over her hands and were planted on its wrists, spreading them wide, her stout legs kicking frantically at its chest to no avail.

He dove for her without thinking. Running his sword through its temple and hauling Ira to her feet. Her little hands gripped the fabric of his jacket, burying her tearstained face into his chest.  
“Were you scratched?” He asked, sounding worried and very much not like himself. When no answer came, he pried her away from him gently, bending himself at the knee to search her face. “Ira, were you scratched? Did you touch it’s skin?” He demanded, voice harder than before.  
Shakily, she shook her head, a tear dropping from the tip of her chin.  
He let out a breath, muscles going lax in relief and she latched back onto him as he straightened.  
He had gotten admittedly better with kids but had there not been adrenaline pumping through his veins, the touch would have made him extremely uncomfortable. As it was though, he wrapped his arm around her back, hugging her shaking form close, her sobs were muffled but it was enough for attention to be drawn to them. Three Infected started limping closer to their little alcove by the stairs. He could feel the way Ira flinched towards him as he swung his sword to take them down.  
Just as he was tugging the little girl away from the wall, he heard Annabeth's voice ring out from the walkie talkie at his waist.  
“Get to evacuation spot B! Infected are surrounding the camp entrance. This is not a drill. Do not go to evac A! I repeat, do not go to Evac A.”

Well, fuck.

It was chaos. Everyone was running, fighting and screaming. Nico dragged Ira forward by the wrist, clearing a path with his sword. They were running, racing for the back entrance, a tunnel dug up in the back of the wood storage bin for emergencies such as this.  
They were almost there when the first bomb fell. The building across from them exploded. The armory. Debris shot everywhere, splintered wood and shattered bricks flying through the air. Nico tackled Ira to the ground, shielding her screaming form with his body. He felt the ground shaking, felt the heat of the flame busting to life. His ears were screaming, high pitched and ringing loudly causing his head to spin.

Will. Is his first panicked thought. His second is to check on Ira, curled into a ball under him, her arms thrown over her head, elbow inches from his face. Trembling, but seemingly okay.  
Will, if you were in that building I’m going to fucking kill you. He doesn't let himself think about the fatality of a blast of that proportion.

The air is so thick with smoke that, already, it burns his eyes. Nevertheless, he scans his surroundings, taking in the infected thrown around him from the blast, some stuck under building chunks reaching their hands towards the fire. There are broken weapons littered around them, a broken axe head landing a foot away from their spot on the ground.

He tries not to pass out when he scrambles up, pushing to his knees and finally to his feet before pulling Ira’s shivering form upright. His head is pounding. He barely makes it two feet before Ira yells out.  
He spins on his heel, expecting her to be in some mortal danger, instead he finds her looking pale and pointing towards the flaming building. Towards a group of infected limping their way to-  
Oh shit.  
A kid is struggling hard against the support beam his leg is caught under, looking terrified and desperate to get away from the approaching monster. Nico doesn't know where the energy comes from, but suddenly he's surging forward, swiping at every infected that gets close to him. It's a blur of singed flesh lit up by red flames and when he pulls his sword from the last rotted skull, he’s panting hard, breathing in lungful after lungful of ash. Ira is crouched by the kids side, talking to him urgently, and as Nico draws closer he can see that under the soot and dirt that he recognizes him, a boy named Marcus, almost sixteen years old and looking worse for wear. Marcus’s hair is matted to his forehead, dark smudges covering every available part of skin. He looks like he’s barely clinging to consciousness.  
If Nico had been anyone else, he might not have noticed the swarm headed towards them, most likely drawn towards the sound of the explosion. He's not sure what else to do, all he knows is that he has to get Marcus out. He locks eyes with the boy, seeing his every emotion reflected back at him. Fear, desperation, pain. He doesn’t give any warning as he heaves the beam off him. His scream is one that imprints itself into Nico’s mind, conveying every ounce of pain he feels before it gets cut off by unconsciousness.  
The beam is heavy, weighing down on him, begging to let go, “Ira.” he heaves, and she looks at him, panicked and scared. “Drag him out. Make sure you don’t let him touch any of the blood on the ground.” He grits through his teeth.  
“I know!” She cries, panicked but indignant all the same. She pulls at his arms, tugging Marcus from his spot. It's slow going and every second he stands there waiting he feels his limbs shaking with the weight.  
The second the bottom of Marcus’s foot clears the beam, Nico lets it go with a sharp exhale. His arms and legs feel like putty, but one glance over his shoulder tells him he doesn’t have the luxury of time. His legs shake as he hauls the boy's lax arm over his shoulder, locking his knees as he straightens in an attempt to not topple over.  
Even at his fastest pace, he’s slow. Marcus’s feet dragging, his full weight supported completely by Nico. Ira shuffles anxiously beside him, shooting worried glances behind them at the nearing crowd. They’re too slow, at this pace they'll never make it. A peek over his shoulder confirms it.  
“Go.” He huffs, “Get to Evac B. You remember, it’s the cabin hidden by the big tree on the far side of the hill.”  
“I remember.” The little girl looks affronted, offended apparently.  
"Good." He shoots a panicked look behind him, "Then go." He doesn't slow his pace but he feels further away from the exit than when he started. He can't have this little girl's blood on his hands. But he also can't leave this boy’s either, not when he still has a chance. However slim. That doesn't mean Ira needs to stay. If she leaves it'll be just Nico risking his life. Weird as it sounds, the thought almost comforts him.  
She frowns up at him, eyes wide and scared, “I’m not leaving you.”  
He blinks down at her, not pausing his pace for even a second. Her hands are wringing anxiously, tugging on the bracelets of her own.  
He growls at her, “Look kid, just get out of here. It- it's not safe.” His limbs are shaking, fatigue threatening to pull him to the ground.  
“I know! Nothin’s safe anymore.” She sounds distressed, rightfully so.  
“Yeah, well here’s really not safe so you need leave.” He’s exhausted, if it wasn’t for the two small lives currently depending on him, he might just drop right here. Well, one life depending on him and the other refusing to leave his side.  
“No!” Ira cries stubbornly, “I don wan you ta die!” She’s almost sobbing the words, making them sound funny to Nico’s tired brain. “I’m not leav’n!”  
He can't help being impressed.  
She kind of reminds him of himself. And if there's one thing he knows about himself...its that he can be a stubborn little shit when he wants to be. And right now, he’s too tired to be stubborn, looks like Ira’s going to get her way.  
“Well, I guess we’re just all going to have to make it then.” Impossibly, he picks up the pace dragging what must be over one hundred and fifty pounds of dead weight behind him.  
By some miracle, namely the infected getting distracted by the flaming building, they manage to get inside the tunnel right as the next bomb strikes.  
It is an experience Nico never wishes to endure again.

Nico is finally relieved of the weight on his shoulders (literally and figuratively) when he stumbles up half-blood hill. Marcus immediately being fretted over by anyone that knows shit about medicine.  
That makes him pause, his boyfriend knows shit about medicine and yet he’s nowhere to be found. “Where’s Will?” he asks no one in particular.

Piper stares up at him, she's covered in blood, whether it's hers or not Nico isn't sure. She looks dazed, like she was too close when a bomb was dropped, but she shakes her head slowly at him. “He’s not here, Nico.”

***

“Will!” His voice cracks but he doesn’t notice. Eyes squinting in an attempt to see through the air thick with smoke. The camp is up in flames, cabins around him crumbling as they’re devoured by the crackling fire. Infected still wander the paths, although this time towards burning buildings instead of idiots like Nico still inside camp borders. “Will!” He calls, running between fallen debris, searching. There’s a body on the ground, gnawed on by teeth and clothes torn by claws. An orange shirt is taut, soaked a deep crimson with blood. Nico’s heart catches in his chest, steps faltering as he adjusts his course. Instantly, he falls to his knees, hands quivering as they hover over the figure's ragged orange camp shirt. The breath of relief that spills from his lungs is short lived. Horror replaces any positive emotion he may have felt when he rolls the body over to see Malcolm Pace’s face. He immediately feels helpless when Malcolm looks up at him, eyes shimmering.  
“Help…” he rasps quietly, voice croaking.  
Nico looks over him, swallowing thickly at the injuries on display, and immediately knows what he means. There’s already toxin coursing through his veins, rotting him from the inside out. And if that hadn't been the most damning thing about the situation, there is a chunk of wood embedded in his stomach. It's still gushing blood. The wood is splintered on the side that Nico can see. He doesn't want to know if that's the case for the other end or not. The blood is seeping higher on the wood, creeping along the grain ominously. Nico's not sure he would have lived through this. There’s really only one thing Nico can do for him. One thing left to offer a dying man. Take away his pain. Make sure he doesn’t turn into a mindless monster. Nico would want it done for him too.  
The lump in his throat won't go away, “Shh, hey. It's okay. You’re gonna be okay, just-” He brings himself to shift Malcolm's arm from out beneath his body, “Just close your eyes for me.” With fingers shaking, he pushes the dirty hair off Malcolm’s forehead, watching as eyelids stutter closed, shutting away the striking grey gaze. There's soot over his right eyebrow.  
“T-t-thank y-you.” his lips are barely moving as he whispers. Nico’s hand shakes as he pulls his gun from its holder. He can't bring himself to use his sword, not when he uses it to chop off rotted heads and- he can't use it on a friend. He doesn’t care if the shot is going to bring attention to him, put him in danger, it’s the last good thing he can do for the man in front of him.  
“Shh, you’re okay, you can- you can go to sleep now.” He hushes comfortingly, pressing the gun lightly to his temple, heart stuttering in his chest as he squeezes the trigger.

When he stands, it feels necessary to whisper, “I’m sorry,” I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m sorry I shot you. I’m sorry I’m leaving your body. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.  
Infected have started to notice him, whether from the gunshot or his movement, he’s not sure. He turns his back, hoping they'll leave Malcolm’s body alone, hoping they’ll have a body to bury.  
Another bomb dropped has his mind shooting back to his reason for coming back to the camp in the first place.  
The ground is still quivering under his feet as he starts running. “Will!” He starts shouting again, sounding desperate.  
“Nico!” The faint voice comes from his left and his heart is sent into overdrive, Malcolm's face flashing in his mind. Oh, please, please don’t be like Malcolm, Will. Please.  
He’s sent into an all out sprint and he almost slams into Will as he rounds the corner, too busy squinting through shattered windows surrounded by fire.  
He’s dirty and covered in blood, but he’s alive. He’s standing and so alive Nico feels his knees go weak. Nico almost cries in relief, that is, until he notices the two limp figures draped around his shoulders.  
Kayla and Austin look dead. He feels his eyes go wide, Kayla’s arm is all but nonexistent, a bloody stump hastily wrapped and dripping a red trail along the ground. Holy shit.  
“Nico..” Will sobs, relief pouring from his tone, and Nico jumps into action. Will lets him transfer Austin’s bulkier form into his own arms, as the medic hefts his half-sister into his arms bridal style. He’s holding her close, cradling her to his chest as he presses down on the stump of her arm.  
They make their way to the exit, ground shivering under them as bombs fall like rain around them, sending buildings and chunks of ground flying in every direction. They see bodies littering the ground but Nico can’t tell if they’re bodies of his friends or infected.  
They don’t stop to check. They can’t. Kayla is on death's bed, incessantly bleeding out despite Will’s efforts. Nico wished he could say it was a hard decision. Choosing one life over the potential of saving others but that was just it. It was only potential, many of the people alive an hour ago could be dead now. So, Nico opts for the next best option; ignore the pain in his chest every time they pass one of their-maybe-not-dead-friends- in favor of moving as fast as he can, dragging the man still breathing in his arms to safety.  
Austin is bigger than he is, by a lot, but the way Will seems to be barely standing, staggering slightly as Kayla’s weight unbalances him, Nico pushes through it. He drags Austin’s unconscious body through the tunnel, reaching from the other end to assist pulling Kayla through after them.  
Once they stagger up the hill, Will is forced into a frenzy of work. Nico doesn't know half the things he assists with, he does exactly what Will tells him in a haze, holding down bucking injured campers or handing him bandages. They don't sleep that night. No one does.

When morning comes, more than ten hours after the last bomb was dropped, a team is sent to scout out the camp. They don't find anyone, not alive anyway.  
They'd spent the morning digging graves. There were fifty four in total. Fifty four.  
Nico feels the missing presence of the children that used to cling to him like a dark shadow. Like a waiting monster lurking in the dark corners. Their absence weighs on his shoulders. Marcus is passed out in the corner of the room, Ira settled by his side, staring at nothing. They’re two of the twelve kids alive. There are only twelve of them left. The bracelets traveling high up his wrist are heavy, weights that drag him down. His feet find the door before his brain knows it's happening. The graves are dug into the side of the hill, facing towards the forest, towards the West where they’ll see every sunset until the end of time. They face away from their home that’s been burned to the ground. The feel of death is strong here, weighing on the air like a thick coating of grease.  
The graves are practically unmarked, save for a stick protruding from the top and the small set of initials scratched hastily in the dirt. Every single one of them deserves more than that. They deserve to be honored, even during death.  
Nico doesn't need the pathetic markings to tell where everyone is buried, not when he not only dug many of the graves but also lowered them into the ground.  
He finds himself seeking out the children first, laying down their respective bracelets and tying them firmly to their marking stick. Every time he knots a bracelet, he sees the kids smile as they tie it around his wrist proudly. It sends a fresh wave of sorrow through him every time. When he’s finished, he only has twelve left, a meager amount compared to what used to be.  
He surveys the graves, looking out over the small mounds of dirt. A large portion of them are still barren.  
Nico takes a knife and carves everyone of their names into the sticks. It's a slow process, painstakingly carving letters into wood. It still doesn't feel like enough when Jason grips his shoulder. The blond looks down at him with sad, tired eyes.  
“Meeting is about to start, c’mon.” He lets Jason lead him to the other side of the hill, feeling hollow.

The camp counselors are settled in a ring on the grass, and Nico could almost imagine it as a happier situation, one where they’re roasting marshmallows and singing, had the dirt and blood and solemn expressions not been present on each of their faces. They were missing four people. Four leaders, friends. Malcolm was one of them. Nico had told Annabeth about her brother earlier last night, in private where she could allow her face to crumple and tears to stream down her face. It had been disorientating to see someone so strong break in front of him, he still couldn't shake the feeling as she sat across the circle, looking every bit the leader she has to be. 

She sighed, looking around the circle, no doubt taking in the absence of her people, “We need to talk about what happened last night.” Her voice was stark, bold, regretful.

Nico is the first to speak up, “The hinges on the gate were cut through,” He’s not sitting in the circle, he’s leaned against a tree, looking towards the charred remains of their camp, “Not bent or forced. Beckendorf was shot and someone cut through the hinges to let in the herd.” He doesn’t look at the group, doesn’t let them know how Beckendorf’s bloody body had engrained itself into his mind. How every time he closed his eyes, he saw his or Malcolm's limp body in front of him. “They did it with an arrow, right at the start of his shift. That’s why no one heard anything or went to change posts. The herd got in and while we were fighting they started dropping bombs. Probably trying to wipe us out. Trying to kill the majority of our population.” And it worked.  
His words are ones that everyone has been thinking, but they still leave the gathering in silence, all now staring at the smoldering cabins in the distance.

Will clears his throat, drawing everyone's eyes to him, “The bombs, they uh,” he sucks a breath through his teeth, “They weren’t falling randomly,” Nico stares at him incredulously, “I don’t think they were trying to kill us all. Or maybe they were but that wasn’t really their main goal.” He licks his dry lips, staring at his hands, they’re still stained with blood from all his different patients, “I was with Austin, we were trying to get to the back exit after the bombs started dropping. But we heard Kayla scream from the infirmary.” He shook his head, eyebrows drawn together, “Some guy, he was running out the door when we got there. He had my bag. This whole thing, I think it was a ploy to get the cure notes. I mean, first they blew up our armory, probably to stop us from fighting back, and then they got all the buildings in the area of the infirmary, to drive us away from the spot they were trying to get to.” He scans the crowd around him, all watching him intently. “Austin and I, we didn’t even need to talk, we just split up. I went after the Protector and Austin went for Kayla. I’d almost caught up to him but the next thing I know, the infirmary is exploding. I- I looked back for one second and everything was on fire.” His voice breaks off, squeezing his hands tightly in his lap, dried blood flaking off the creases. “I froze up. I might have been able to get him but I couldn’t just- I couldn’t just leave them there. I mean that's my family. And a bomb was just dropped on them.” Nico is suddenly on his knees beside him, staring into his dirty face, lips pursed. He’s reaching out to him before he can tell himself to stop. He gently pries Wills nails away from his palm, soothing over the crescent-moons dug into his flesh. Will stares hard at their hands as he continues, “When I got there, Austin was knocked out, one of the shelves fell on him I guess. And Kayla-” Will’s jaw clenched and Nico squeezed their hands together tightly, bracing himself.  
“Kayla was right next to him. There was a hatchet stuck in her arm, it was already through the bone, right above her elbow. The wound, it was jagged, almost like- like it’d been-” Will looks sick to his stomach, “Like he’d chopped at it. More than once. For something like that to happen, where the flesh is torn, and bloody and-- he caught her by surprise, and then he didn’t stop until she passed out. He might not have stopped at all if he hadn’t known about the oncoming bomb.” He looks something between murderous and nauseous, his eyes are blazing with fire but he’s pasty white. “The rest of her wrist was jammed under an overturned cabinet. Everything around them was on fire. I didn’t-- I didn’t have enough time to do it properly. I swear, I-I didn’t-” Will’s grip on his hand turned deathly tight, his entire body was shaking. “There wasn't anything close enough, so I- I pushed the hatchet through her arm.” His voice was choked, stretched thin and stuttering. He was shaking all over, most likely reliving every awful second of the memory. Nico, himself felt as if he was there alongside him, watching as tears streamed down his face as his hands pushed down on metal, forcing muscle and tissue to part for the blade. “There was so much blood.” his blue eyes are full of tears, glued to the red stains on his hands. The blood of people in pain. Nico’s attention is solely on Will, so much that he forgets about the meeting, forgets about everything but Will, wanting to comfort him but not knowing how. Maybe if he’d been more observant, more aware, he would have realized the best way to help Will would be to change the subject. He would have realized how horrified the expressions on the faces around him were. Maybe he could have taken the attention off Will, who was still looking like he was trapped in a gruesome nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.  
Thankfully, Annabeth collects herself in record time, starting to debt options as to where they should go once their injured are ready to move. Nico tunes them out, drawing Will’s quivering form into his arms.  
His cheek is pressed into scratchy blond hair, Wills fingers clenching tightly to his jacket.  
“You did the right thing.” He whispers, not sure if he should but feeling the need to say something. “They’re alive because of you. They’re both stable and alive.” He tugs Will impossibly closer, “You did the right thing.” he says again, as if repeating it might make Will believe it.  
Will’s still shaking by the end of the meeting.

***

They’re settled in an abandoned church three days later. It's a rundown, crappy building with a portion of the ceiling missing. And annoying as it is that they couldn't even find a decent, nearby place to hole up while everyone recovers, the people he’s with insist on seeing perks in every downside. That's how Nico finds himself sitting around a fire watching a swirl of smoke disappear out the top of the shitty excuse of a ceiling eating the meagre meal of smoked rabbit and berries.  
It's a quiet night. Apart, of course, from the bickering.

“At least I actually caught something!” Piper glares without heat.

“Pshh.” Leo holds up a hand in her direction, “Animal cruelty. That's all you did.” He looks at her across the fire, “You should be ashamed.”

She huffs a laugh, “You’re only saying that cause your, ‘Ultra supreme quarry catcher’” She finger quotes, rolling her eyes at the ridiculous name, “Was a major flop.”

Leo gasps, looking offended as he places a hand on his chest, before plugging his ears with his fingers, “Nope. Can’t hear you. Feel the shame for your animal cruelty, Piper!”

And while it’s not his favorite thing to listen to, it's, surprisingly, more preferable to other conversations.

“Of course I had copies!” Annabeth defended. “My pictures were in Percy’s cabin when the bombs dropped.” she deflated. “I thought I would have more time to make hand copies.” Annabeth was staring dejectedly at her hands, “It was stupid of me to be so arrogant,”

“Hey,” Percy turned her towards him, smiling reassuringly. “All it means is we have to get them back.”

“From where? Their top-secret base? In its confidential location? The one that might not even exist and if it does is likely heavily guarded and probably impenetrable?”

“Yup. That’s the one, Wisegirl. Easy peasy.” He winked, pulling her to his side even as she rolled her eyes.

Disgusting coupley crap Nico thought, as he, himself, leaned further into his boyfriend's chest.  
Will’s arm is a reassuring weight around him, holding him closer than usual despite his seemingly normal attitude. Nico takes a second to glance up at Will, searching his face when his small smile doesn't quite meet his eyes. After a second, Will seems to understand that Nico isn’t buying any of the shit he’s trying to sell, and drops the façade slightly. Sighing as he buries his face into Nico's neck. It’s going to be a long night.  
As the temperature drops, their friends begin to trickle off, moving into the sheltered area of the church to attempt sleep.  
It’s not long before it’s only the two of them, settled in the dim light of the fire. They’re close enough that Nico can feel body heat radiating from beside him, but far enough that he can see Will’s face. It looks like he's glowing, red and orange glinting over his features. It’s difficult to look away, not that Nico is really trying very hard.  
His eyes are dark, looking thoughtfully into the flickering fire. His hair is alight with colour, light glancing off the curls turning it an array of shimmering golden reds.  
He’s beautiful.  
Even if he’s tense.  
His lips are slightly pursed, drawing down just barely in the corners. Eyebrows drawn in, just a fraction. To anyone else, he would look fine, relaxed even. But Nico’s not just anyone. He knows Will, more than the other would probably like to admit.  
It takes him an embarrassingly long time to work up the courage to say anything. What comes out is also slightly embarrassing, but something that, admittedly, has been nagging him.  
“What’d you think happened to Mrs. O’Leary?” It's quiet, hardly a murmur in the wind, but Will hears it.  
“I dunno.” Finally, Will meets his eyes, “maybe she got spooked by the bombs, ran to the forest,” Their hands are laced together, resting in the space between them. “She was on her own a long time before, you know. She’s probably fine.”  
Nico hums, tilting his head to lay gently against Will’s shoulder. The dog had already shown she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Nico would miss her, of course, he’d grown to like the company of the huge fluffball, but maybe it was for the best. Having a dog in the midst of an apocalypse wasn’t the most reasonable thing he’d ever done.  
They’re quiet for a while longer, mulling over their own thoughts.  
“I cut off my sister’s arm.” Will whispers under his breath.  
Nico doesn’t look at him. He focuses on the pulse fluttering under his fingertips, stroking across the tendons in Wills wrist lightly.  
“I know.” He Nico says, softly, gently. Everything that needs to be said, has been. Now it’s just a fact.  
The silence between them stretches, neither lost in thought but not exactly present either. Until Nico speaks again.  
“I shot Malcolm.”  
Will doesn’t look at him, returning Nico’s earlier courtesy.  
“I know.”  
Nico feels strangely empty, staring into the fire at that moment. If this is what life is now, why are we still fighting for it? How many others am I going to kill before I die?  
“Does this make us less than what we were before? Are we less human now?” Will asks, his voice even and quiet.  
Nico’s not sure what to say. Are they? He wouldn’t have even considered shooting someone in the head before the world went to shit. Not if they asked him to, not even if he knew it would be a mercy. He didn’t think he could do it before. Couldn’t pull the trigger to end a life. But here he was, there was blood on his hands. It would never come off. It was a stain on his soul and it would stay there until the day he died, however long that might be. He had changed, but did that make him less than before?  
He didn’t have an answer, so he settled for honesty.  
“I don’t know.” He could feel Will looking at him, “We’re different now, but so is the world.” He locked eyes with Will, “Everything has changed, I think it’s only fitting that we change with it.”  
They looked at each other for a long while and Nico had never felt so exposed in his life. But it wasn’t scary. Will could tell him to spill all his secretes right now and he’d do it. It was just another thing that had changed about him.  
“I like that.” With the way Will is looking at him, Nico knows it goes both ways. He could ask anything and Will would tell him. It’s intimidating and it should be terrifying but there’s a warmth in his chest that tells him how wrong he is about that. Because it’s this emotion that makes everything worth it.  
“I love you, Nico.” Will’s face is lax, eyes drifting softly across Nico’s face.  
And suddenly, Nico remembers why they fight everyday to stay alive. He realizes why he wakes up every morning even if the world they live in is a hell storm. They’re not less than before. They can’t be. Because Nico has never felt anything this strong in his life, and that has to count for something.  
He loves Will. He knows that, and so he tells him.  
“Will, you're the reason I’m still alive.” He’s not sure how to put it into words, but with Will staring at him like that he’s damn well going to try, “I think I would have given up a long time ago if you hadn’t found me.” His lips are dry but Will looks like he's clinging to every word, “I love you too.”  
Will’s eyes go soft, like he hadn't expected Nico to say it back. What an idiot.  
The crackling fire, the warm hand around his, Nico memorizes it all.  
“That's the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.” Will whispers, and just like that the moment’s broken.  
Nico shakes his head, doing his very best to look annoyed or at the very least exasperated, not fucking fond.  
He can’t quite help letting a smile peek through. “C’mon, let’s go to bed.”

***

They don't linger in the church for long. Actually, They don't stay anywhere for long. Not anymore. It’s been less than a month on the road when they come across another Protector radio station. Percy and Annabeth, as tired as they are, man the radio almost constantly. Fortunately, it pays off.  
“Its Tartarus,” Percy blurted after gathering all surviving counselors, “He’s cured.”  
Shocked silence. Then that means...  
“They have a production base somewhere,” Annabeth's grin was wicked, “We are going to find out where.”

  
……………………………………………………………………………...

Nico shook himself out of his stupor, taking a second to recall Piper's question.  
_How long does he have left?  
_"Er…" he stuttered in the ear piece, "Like I said, I've never seen this before. Not even in quarantine." Nico rubbed at the nape of his neck wearily. "If I had to guess," he pursed his lips, glancing at Will's figure, still hunched precariously against the wall. Nico didn't have the sense that he usually felt. Everything about Will right now felt jumbled, mixed up. It was like Bianca all over again. Dying for him. Because he was too slow, too stupid. "Not long." He rubbed a tired hand down his face. "I really have no idea. But it's not looking good. Over."

"Jason, your group is the closest to them. Alpha team is almost at the lab." Annabeth's clear voice said through the earpiece. "Once we get the cure we'll bring it to Will, just make sure the path is clear of any Infected. We have to be efficient if this is going to work. Over."

"Ten-four," Jason replied, "working our way there now. Over."

Nico locked the door with a resounding 'click'. It would cave in if someone kicked hard enough but if the Infected got here before Jason...it might give Nico just enough warning to get ready for a fight. Nico explained to Will what was said, the healer's earpiece having fallen out in the fight. The Italian boy sat in front of the blond and grabbed his hand, tracing random patterns on the tanned skin.

"Nico, if I don't make it," Will started, not meeting the Italians eyes. "I wanted you to have something." He pulled his hand away from the pale, dirt-covered boy.

"Will," Nico whispered, wanting to object that, yes, Will would make it. He shouldn't lose hope. But he stayed quiet, watching as the blond boy pulled a black cord taut around his neck. Will's lips trembled as he glanced down at the charm, surrounded by his camp beads.

He glanced up at Nico as he started to speak, "I remember the day you got this for me...it was the day I knew I would fall in love with you. I couldn't have stopped it if I tried. I'm hopelessly in love with you, Nico." He stopped short to take a strained breath, and Nico felt his soul shatter.  
"No, actually, not hopelessly." Blue eyes stared at him, "The thing I feel for you is the most hopeful emotion I've ever experienced." The look on Will's face at that moment was one Nico had never seen before. "You gave me hope Nico, in this hell, you gave me hope." Gratitude, desperation, and longing all flowed from Will's expression. "I love you so much." The sincerity in his voice made Nico's heart soar and sink simultaneously.  
With trembling fingers, Will unlatched the clasp that held the cord of the necklace together. He grasped for Nico's wrist and pushed the charm into the middle of his hand, the beaded cord dangling off either side of Nico's clammy palm. When his warm hand retracted, Nico was forced to glance down at the charm he knew was there.

A sun and a moon laced together in graceful dance stared tauntingly up at him. Nico remembered the exact thoughts that had played in his head when he'd found it back in the days he and Will were on their own. Like the sun and the moon, they had always been opposites, yet they had worked so well together. For the longest time he'd felt clever about it; the perfect analogy for them. Now he hated it. How could the moon shine without the sun? It couldn't. And here he was, watching as his sun was suffocated.  
Nico clenched the warm metal in his hand. His jaw strained as he looked at Will from under his eyelashes. Will had a troubled look on his handsome, dirty face.

"Tell everyone I said goodbye will you?" Will looked like a mess but the small, watery smile he gave Nico in that second, was one he would cherish the rest of his miserable life.

"Tell them yourself, you big oaf." Nico sniffed stubbornly, "Jason is close and the team is coming. They'll help you."  
They would, wouldn't they? It wasn't too late yet. Sure, there were some signs of the infection seeping in but...they could deal with it. Together. Like they always did.

"No offence Babe, but you're being an idiot." Will grinned wiping calloused fingers over Nico's face, smearing a dark line of grease across his cheekbone. "More optimistic than I've ever seen you, but still an idiot." Nico ducked his head smiling softly.

"You always did tell me to be positive," Nico murmured, gently cupping the hand that lay on his cheek with his own, catching his blue gaze again. "And for the record, you're the idiot in this relationship."

The laugh Will gave almost made Nico think he was going to be okay, maybe the crew would bring the cure in time. Could they be that lucky? They didn't come across luck often, so maybe just this once, the world wouldn't be cruel.  
But the world was always cruel to them. Cruel in every sense of the word. Nico couldn't see the scratches from Will's position against the wall, but the deep gashes had made the infection spread through his veins quicker than most. The infection could already be seen, but even with his skin growing steadily more ashen, bleeding scratch marks mapping his forearms and dark purple veins slowly crawling their way across his face; Nico thought he was beautiful.  
And Nico knew he shouldn't. It wasn't worth the risk, he was being reckless and stupid, but he didn't care. Damn this world, this apocalypse. Damn it all to hell. He slowly pressed his lips to Wills. They were chapped but they were still warm, Will was still alive. Nico felt safe and, in spite of everything, this was where he wanted to be forever. Safe, in this one moment in time.  
The kiss drew a shocked, strangled gasp from his partner. All too soon, barely half a second, Nico felt hands push against his chest. He lingered as long as he could before Will hurriedly pushed him away. The cool air made him miss the soft pressure of Will's rough lips that much more.

"Nico," The quiet whisper made him drop his head slightly, his dark, overgrown locks falling around his face. He hid behind them as he selfishly traced his tongue over his bottom lip, relishing in the memory of warmth there. "It's too risky, Love." Will shook his head sadly, "We can't." Will tucked the soft strands of hair away from Nico's face.

Nico looked up desperately, "You're not in the second stage, isn't contagious yet, Will." His fists grabbed at the blonds ripped healers uniform. "Just- just let me…" he moved his face closer, feeling Wills shaky breaths fan across his skin. "Please."  
The barest brush against his mouth and he'd already slid his eyes shut. Will gently pushed him away, hand sweeping through his dark locks and down his back, Nico relished in the feeling.

"Nico." Annabeth's voice cut through the silence. "Nico, do you copy? How long can Will last? Over."

Nico's hand flew to the earpiece. "Not long. Tell me you have the cure. Over." He jumped to his feet, looking imploringly at the decaying door.

The silence stretched. He pressed again. "Annabeth. Do you have the cure?" He ground out. "It's spreading fast, we need--" Will cut him off.

"Nico, the cure won't work." Will's eyes were pained as he said it. As he uttered the damning words that had already been fluttering around the back of Nico’s mind. "It won't work once stage two hits. I’ll be too far gone by the time anyone gets here. It's too late."

"No. No, it's not too late." Nico reflected furiously. "Annabeth, do you have the-"

"Stage two. Nico, I feel it. It's coming. By the time they get here…" he shakes his head.

"No!" Nico shouted, probably far too loud for it to be appreciated by anyone on the earpiece "Somebody, tell me you have the cure!" His voice wavering on the edge of a sob. "Over."

The reply came quickly this time.

"I'm sorry." Annabeth spoke. "It's been moved. They must have known we were coming. It was here but, " She paused, Nico could almost see her teary eyes staring at an empty incubator.  
"It's gone."

"Over." she whispered quietly.

His eyes locked grimly with Will.

"They don't have it." Nico's voice cracked.

"It's okay, Nico. It's okay." Will smiled before adding, "Thank you, for making my life so much better." Nico was afraid if he looked at that familiar smile for a second longer, he wouldn't be able to stop the tears, so he faced the wall, his back to Will. That sounded too much like a Goodbye for him to handle at the moment. "Give me your earpiece, I want to talk to them all quickly," Will whispered.

Nico stepped forward and threw his palms flat against the stone wall. "We can make it." He said determinedly. "It was only recently moved," those bastards, always one step ahead, two steps, the whole fucking flight of stairs ahead! "If we can track-"

"Stop it, Nico." Will demanded, "You're leading yourself on," When Nico turned the lack of hope on Wills face made his heart squeeze in his chest. Will had always said there was a way, when the team was down Will gave them hope. His optimistic outlook gave them a reason to fight when they needed it most. "I can't walk Nico, I'll slow you down and if the Infected out there don't kill you, I will. Stage three will hit quickly and then I will kill you." He scrubbed at his face "Earpiece...Nico, please." He held out his hand and Nico gave in. He had never seen Will like this. So dejected. Lost. Not Will, never Will. Not until now.  
He dropped the small black radio into his open hand.

"This is Will," he said once the earpiece was in. "I can feel stage two coming." His blue gaze never wavered "I think-" Nico was desperately trying to memorize his face. The slope of his nose, curve of his lips, arch of his eyebrows. The way his hair curled lightly at the tips. The splatter of freckles underneath all that dirt. Sometimes, Nico imagined seeing Will at the beach, sun beating down as Will's hair caught the light. Those stupid freckles blending with a golden tan, or maybe sticking out starkly against a bright red burn. Come to think about it, Nico didn't know whether Will burnt or tanned, he wasn’t sure he would ever find out. "I think it's time. Find the cure. Save the world." his voice turned soft, "I'll see you on the other side. Over" Nico couldn't hear what the others said, but he saw Wills smile. "Thanks, Jason. And Leo, you're such a dick. Over" He laughed.  
Responding to Leo's comeback (Well you'd know all about dick wouldn't you?) with a, "Screw you."  
Leo and Will's friendship was strong as ever and they'd kept spirits as high as they could over the past year. They were a good team.  
"See you later, Buddy." Will laughed "Over." He tossed the earpiece back after Leo's response.

Nico had watched the exchange silently. He didn't smile at Will, like he normally would have, when he caught the small object in one hand, he couldn’t bring himself to act like the world was alright. Like anything was fair. Will was the best of them, if this was the fate he had been dealt...  
This was all too much. Nico didn’t want to look at this stupid guy’s stupid eyes anymore. He wanted to go back. Back to when had to listen to this stupid boy’s stupid jokes and when they used to lay on that stupid bed and kiss like stupid boys in love. God, Nico just wanted to make that stupid spaghetti he loved so much and watch him smile like Nico was his entire stupid, stupid world. This was- he just couldn’t handle it.

"This is Nico," his voice sounded small and broken, even to his own ears. Again, he fell against the wall for support. "Visible signs of infection,’’ he swallowed hoarsely, "The scratching has started." It was true. No matter how hard Will tried he couldn't stop clawing at his skin. "I think- I can’t-” The words wouldn’t come out. “Jason, where are you?"

Nico had one hand pressed to his ear and the other hiding his eyes. His own palm was rough against the sensitive skin. If Nico hadn't been leaning against the wall, he was sure his knees would buckle. Nico didn’t register the unlatching of a holster behind him. "Over."

"We won't get there in time." Jason panted, "Talk to Will, it's your call." His breathing was labored, heavy like he was in the middle of a fight.  
"I'm sorry. Over."

Our call. Whether he dies with his mind and memory intact or after he’s painfully lost it.  
"What do you want to do, Will?" Nico choked out, "It's just us." Nico dropped his hand, revealing glossy eyes. Said eyes quickly found the gun pressed harshly in his boyfriend's hands.

The look in Will's eyes was too much. The sorrow was too real. "Nico, I can't hold the gun." He was right, Will's hand was shaking so much he kept jerking the barrel in different directions. "I'm so sorry." Will would never be able to pull the trigger, even if it was pressed against his own temple. "I'm so sorry," Will was in so much pain. He was shaking, scratching, he stopped trying to lift the gun to his head. It crashed to the ground. This was the end of stage one. Trying to itch at something beneath the skin. Tearing through your own flesh and still not finding relief. Most dug until they reached the bone. This was how Will would go insane.

"Nico, please, just make it stop!" Will's shaking intensified, "I don't want to forget you!" His pleading shattered Nico's heart. “Please. Nico I can’t. Please.” He was sobbing out the words, every syllable laced with something heartbreakingly painful.

"I'll find you. Wherever we go after this, I'll find you." Nico promised, the words rushing out of him. He couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They burned his cheeks as they cut through layers of soot.

Nico's lungs stopped working as he picked up the gun. When he pointed it at Will's head they wouldn't let him suck in any air. The small distance should have made it an easy shot, but damn it, if it wasn't the most impossible thing he'd ever had to do.  
"I know you will." Nico looked at Will and saw his entire world, the reason he fought, the whole reason he lived and now, he was going to kill the person he loved most.  
Nico watched as Will closed his eyes, shutting away the azure blue gaze that Nico had fallen for so completely. "Live for me, Nico. Find the cure and then live.” His voice was shaking and Nico's finger was hovering above the trigger, seconds away from ending his life.  
Nico had never once thought about Will’s last words, he’d always believed he himself would go out before him. Protecting Will until his last breath. He never thought he’d be alive to hear Will's last words. Witness his last aching breath, "I love you, Death boy."  
Nico gave a small almost-smile at the long despised nick-name.  
"I love you too, Sunshine." Nico said softly, scanning the blond's face one last time before he squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the trigger. It sounded ten times louder than any gun Nico had ever shot. Maybe it was the small space or maybe it was the fact that he had just killed the love of his life.  
The shot echoed in the stone room. It defended his ears, a high pitch ring bouncing around his head. Nico didn't know how long he stood there, eyes squeezed shut, arms standing rigidly holding the weapon that just… just killed Will. He had just killed Will. His medic with beautiful eyes. The boy with the lovely laugh.  
Even after the roar of the gun had stopped he couldn't bring himself to listen to what his friends were trying to say to him over the earpiece. He wanted Will. His Will…  
His chest was hollow, his mind uncomprehending. Nico felt the air pressing all around him, he was hyper-aware of every bead of sweat that dripped from his temple. Time felt slow, sluggishly ticking by while simultaneously flying past around him. Everything was going too fast. Too slow. They were too slow. Too slow to the cure, too slow to save Will.

Nico should have been faster, been better, pushed harder. If he couldn’t save the one person that mattered most to him in the world...what good was he?

He was nothing now. He was nothing because everything he lived for was lying dead at his feet. They should have known better, Will saved lives, he was a healer. What did Nico do but destroy everything that mattered. Will had given him a reason to fight, not only for the cure but also… also for them. The two of them. Together. They weren't together anymore though. And it was all Nico’s fault. If Will had never gone back for him that night, he might still be alive. He never would have gone back to camp and had bombs dropping on him, he wouldn’t be here with the scratches and the bullet. Will should have left Nico to die in that hospital. Nico shouldn’t be the one still standing, still breathing in the air on the cursed planet, the one still living. If it could even be called that anymore. Will was the one that mattered. Nico should be the one dead. The infected was going for him and then Will...then Will just… And for what? So Nico could kill him. Stand in this spot and murder him.

The muscle around his eyes strained, begging to relieve the tension, his shoulders were locked upright, an ache settling deep in his joints. He doesn't feel any of it. All he knows is the press of metal in his hands and the smell of gunpowder in his lungs. It burns his insides, setting fire to his throat all the way to his stomach. He feels acid rise in his veins, burning him from the core.

Nico didn't feel the bite of pain when he dropped to his knees, he didn't hear the sounds of Jason in his ear. Once he convinced himself to open his eyes he only saw Will. His beautiful face covered in the dirty grime of survival. His wonderful healer with a bullet in his skull. The bullet that Nico had put there minutes ago. Hours ago. Days, maybe, he didn't care to remember.  
He didn't register the rupture of the door or the gasps of his crew, he didn't feel the warm hand on his back or hear the cries of anguish from his friends. He was numb to the world, leaned back on his heels with the gun gripped loosely in his fingers by his side. He was numb until it really hit him just how dead Will really was. Emotion filled the hole in his chest. Sorrow, anguish, desperation, they flooded him, filling his lungs until he couldn’t breathe. Until they suffocated every inch of his body, his entire soul. Surrounding his eyes, tunneling his vision on the boy in front of him. His limbs grew a heaviness, weighing him down, drawing him against the hard floor. Panting around the block in his dry throat.  
Nico tried to crawl to him, his broken, defeated, beautiful Will. A broken whimper escaped from the back of his throat. Blood gushed from the wound in his forehead, streaming down his freckled face in red rivulets. Nico’s fingers were inches away from the tips of his matted golden hair before he was yanked back.  
A desperate scream tore from his lips as he dug his bleeding fingernails into the stone floor. His nails splintered as he buried them between the small cracks, tiny pricks of pain drowned and ignored. He fought, elbows flailing, legs scrambling for purchase. He shouted for Will, reaching for his limp body as someone wrestled him into the ground. Nico fell flat on his stomach, whatever oxygen that may have been inside him rushing out on the impact. There was a knee pressed firmly against the small of his back, forcing him down hard against the solid floor. He dimly registered his arms being clamped gently at his sides, but he was focused on straining his neck, chin propped up on the cold ground, trying in wrenching desperation to force his way forward. His kicking and screaming turned to begging. Pathetic and broken pleading. Cracked words strung together from a broken person. All he wanted was to hug the boy he loved close. Keep him safe. Keep him away from the gruesome world around them, turn back time to when no one was infected and their biggest worry was coming out of the closet. Pull him far away from danger and thread his fingers into honey-coloured hair and pretend everything was okay again.

But it wasn't okay. He wasn't sure anything ever would be again. Will was dead. And Nico could barely breathe in a world that he wasn’t alive in anymore. Nico didn’t know how long he struggled, staring at Will's lax body before he stilled. The fight drained from his body, leaving him empty and purposeless. When he pushed himself into a sitting position against the opposite wall, the arms around him loosed. He couldn't bring himself to look away. Not from Will. And how could anyone expect him to? The boy he loved was dead in front of him. He shot the boy he loved. Aimed a gun at his head and pulled the trigger. How could anyone live with that.  
A large hand encircled Nico's wrist. It didn't pull him anywhere, not until he was ready, it was just there to ensure he didn't foolishly infect himself. They couldn't afford foolishness. Not now.  
Nico didn't want to leave Will like this, he deserved so much more, but there wasn't anything he could do. If he touched him, well, Nico would meet the same fate. And he would never do that to Will. The blond would never want to be the reason Nico died. He would have died in vain, and there was no way in hell Nico was going to let that happen. That was still his Will. And Will had told him to find the cure.  
It was the only reason Nico found the strength to rise slowly to his feet, drawing himself up on shaky legs. The hand was still placed precariously on his forearm but he shook it off as he forced a long, deep breath into his hyperventilating lungs. As Nico closed his blood-shot eyes, he let his tears slide down his face.  
He tugged his aviator jacket from his arms, holding the fabric close to his chest. He could almost imagine it wrapped around Wills sleeping form the night before. Huddled under the aviator with his stupidly blond head pillowed in Nico’s lap. The jacket never fit him, his long arms poking out of the too-short sleeves, so instead he would drape in over himself like a blanket and insist on cuddling. Nico drew it up to his nose but all he could smell was dirt and blood.  
Will's legs were stretched lightly in front of him, his pants blood-splattered and dirty. Cautiously, Nico kneeled in front of him, ignoring the warnings from his friends. His hands were shaking violently as he carefully moved the fabric to cover his head. He tucked the dull faux fur of the collar behind his head against the wall, moving to deliberately avoid any contact with his skin. It was dangerous enough to be this close.  
Will's face was hidden from him now but he still couldn’t seem to pull his hand away. He slid it down over the fabric, pressing gently to his cheek. Realistically, Nico knew he wouldn't be able to feel any heat from him, not through the thick material, but that didn't stop him from imagining it. If he focused, he could see Will's laughing face. His right eye always scrunched up just a little more than his left when he laughed. There was a sharp pain in his chest. He didn’t know when he’d started holding his breath.  
He leaned forward, pressing his forehead into the jacket and squeezing his eye tight. He didn't think he could breathe if he tried. Slowly he slipped his hand into the jacket pocket, fingers brushing the edge of a photo before gripping the film and drawing it out. He didn’t need to see the picture to know what image was there, but he did it anyway. The grass was green, the blanket was worn, and Nico was kissing him. Will was holding him close and they were kissing. He was beautiful and happy, in love and alive.  
Nico pressed the photo hard against his chest, as if he could ease the pain he felt there with the warmth of a memory.  
There were tears on his lips as he pressed them gently against the fabric.  
When Nico opened his eyes again and turned to his friends, their expressions almost sent him over the edge again. He didn’t want to know what the look on his own face told them.  
He roughly jerked his chin and they all made their way out of the small room. Nico glanced at Will one last time, squeezing the necklace still clenched in one grimy hand and the picture in the other, all he wanted was to see his face again.

Then he walked away. His team, his friends, were waiting in the hall, glassy eyes regarding him as he exited the room. He clasped the cord around his neck, the weight foreign but welcome, before he joined the group. The beads were hot on his neck, the metal charm burning, searing, where it lay below his throat. The photo was heavy where he’d slipped it into his back pocket. There was a mundane air that surrounded them, there always was when they lost someone, but this was Will. Their best field medic, their optimist.  
They had to walk away from his dead body. This was the last straw. Nico wasn't going to stand by and watch as more of his team died. Find the cure, then live. And they would, all of them.


End file.
